England begin 2027 World Cup play-off campaign in Greece

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 15:37 · Archive

England face Greece in the first leg of a 2027 Women's World Cup qualifying play-off on Tuesday.

England face Greece in the first leg of a two-legged 2027 Women's World Cup qualifying play-off. The match takes place at Pankritio Stadium in Crete on Tuesday, with the return fixture at Leicester's King Power Stadium on the same day.

England finished second in their qualifying group behind Spain on goal difference, forcing them into the play-offs. Greece topped their group with four wins from four against Georgia and the Faroe Islands. This is the first-ever senior meeting between the nations in women's competition.

England are heavy favourites, ranked fourth in the world compared to Greece in 59th place. Sarina Wiegman's side have been unbeaten in their past 41 fixtures when facing an opponent for the first time, winning 34 of those matches. Greece will be aiming to reach a major tournament for the first time in their history.

Wiegman has recalled experienced midfielder Ella Toone to replace the injured Lucy Bronze, while captain Leah Williamson returns after missing the previous camp due to injury. If England progress, they will face Slovakia or Ukraine home and away in November and December.

How it is being reported

• Greece vs England in Women's World Cup play-off LIVE!Sky Sports · 9 Oct, 17:06
• Greece v England LIVE: Lionesses seek to take control in World Cup play-off first legEngland must progress through two play-off ties if they are to qualify for the 2027 World Cup with the first a two-legged affair against GreeceIndependent Sport · 9 Oct, 14:59
• How to watch Greece vs England: FREE streams and TV channelsAll the ways to watch Greece vs England live streams online and from anywhere for free, as the Lionesses begin their 2027 Women's World Cup play-off campaign.TechRadar · 9 Oct, 14:30

In this story: England · Greece · Sarina Wiegman · Spain · Leah Williamson · Lucy Bronze · Brazil · Crete

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem