England face Greece in Women's World Cup play-off

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 9 Oct, 07:37 · Archive

England play Greece in a two-leg World Cup qualifier after finishing second in their group behind Spain.

England travel to Greece for the first leg of their World Cup qualifying play-off on Friday 5 October, with the return fixture at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday. The Lionesses finished second in their qualifying group on goal difference behind Spain, triggering the play-off rounds. If they progress past Greece, they will face the winner of the Slovakia versus Ukraine tie for a place at next summer's World Cup in Brazil.

England are ranked 4th in the world compared to Greece's 59th ranking, making them strong favourites to advance. This will be the first senior women's meeting between the nations. Midfielder Lexi Potter has been called up for the first time at senior level, while manager Sarina Wiegman has left out Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly, saying although she believes in them, she knows they can bring more than they have shown at the start of the domestic season.

Wiegman is seeking to understand what went wrong during qualifying. England's 4-0 defeat to Spain was their heaviest loss in 17 years and their worst under her management, highlighting what Sky Sports described as a 'gulf' between the sides. Player Lauren James said England cannot change what has happened and must focus on winning to reach the World Cup, describing it as everyone's dream since childhood. James, who plays for Chelsea, is in good form at club level with the team dropping just two points from five league games this season.

How it is being reported

• Is Greece v Lionesses on TV? Channel, kick-off time and how to watch World Cup play-offEngland travel to Greece for the first leg of their qualifying play-off for the 2027 Women’s World CupIndependent Sport · 9 Oct, 07:09
• James: England must keep looking forward in quest for World Cup placeLauren James says England cannot do anything about the situation they find themselves in and just need to beat Greece in their play-off double-header in an effort to secure their place at next summer’s World Cup.Sky Sports · 8 Oct, 12:06
• Why England have an obligation to prove themselves against GreeceWhen England were consigned to the World Cup play-offs back in June, it felt like a massive step backwards. How were the European champions not a shoo-in for the next major tournament in the international calendar?Sky Sports · 7 Oct, 09:06

In this story: England · Greece · Spain · Sarina Wiegman · Lauren James · Brazil · Chelsea

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