England drawn against Greece in Women's World Cup play-offs
Short overview
England will face Greece in the first round of the 2027 Women's World Cup play-offs. The Lionesses must win two home-and-away ties to qualify for the tournament in Brazil. Fixtures are set for October, November, and December.
England have been drawn to play Greece in the first round of the 2027 Women's World Cup play-offs, as the Lionesses seek to secure their place at the tournament in Brazil. The draw, announced on [date], sets up a two-legged tie that England must win to progress.
Play-off structure
The play-offs consist of two rounds of home-and-away matches. Should England overcome Greece, they will face the winner of the tie between Slovakia and Ukraine, with the away fixture played first. The exact dates for the matches are yet to be confirmed, but they will take place in October, November, and December 2026.
Group stage performance
England finished second in their qualifying group behind Spain, who secured the single automatic qualification spot. The Lionesses won five of their six group matches but were unable to top the group. Spain's consistent performance meant England had to enter the play-offs.
Other home nations' draws
Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland also learned their play-off opponents. In round one, Wales will face Albania, Scotland take on the Czech Republic, and Northern Ireland play Portugal. The Republic of Ireland will meet Kazakhstan.
Full round one draw
Path 1: Lithuania v Sweden, Romania v Norway, Greece v England, Croatia v Iceland, Kazakhstan v Republic of Ireland, Kosovo v Austria, Hungary v Netherlands, Belarus v Italy.
Path 2: Albania v Wales, Turkey v Slovenia, Slovakia v Ukraine, Israel v Switzerland, Belgium v Poland, Czech Republic v Scotland, Northern Ireland v Portugal, Finland v Serbia.
Potential round two matchups
The winners of each first-round tie will advance to round two, with the following potential pairings: Slovakia or Ukraine v Greece or England; Finland or Serbia v Belarus or Italy; Northern Ireland or Portugal v Croatia or Iceland; Albania or Wales v Romania or Norway; Israel or Switzerland v Kosovo or Austria; Czech Republic or Scotland v Lithuania or Sweden; Belgium or Poland v Kazakhstan or Republic of Ireland; Turkey or Slovenia v Hungary or Netherlands.
The winners of the second round will secure their places at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.
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