England Women Face World Cup Playoffs After Spain Defeat
6 verified5 unconfirmed
England's women's football team missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup despite winning five of their six qualifying matches. The Lionesses defeated Ukraine 3-0 in their final group game on Tuesday, but needed Iceland to beat or draw Spain in the other match. Instead, Spain won 6-1 in Reykjavik, securing top spot in Group A3 on a superior head-to-head record after beating England 4-0 in Mallorca. England had beaten Spain 1-0 at Wembley in April. The result means the reigning European champions must now navigate two rounds of home-and-away play-off ties to reach next year's tournament in Brazil. Manager Sarina Wiegman and several players expressed frustration that 15 points from 18 were not enough to advance automatically. The draw for the play-off rounds is scheduled for 18 June, with matches to be played in October, November and December.
What’s verified
England finished second in Group A3 with 15 points from six games, winning five and losing one.
Spain topped the group due to a better head-to-head record after beating England 4-0 away and losing 1-0 at home.
The Lionesses defeated Ukraine 3-0 in their final qualifying match on 9 June 2026.
England must now go through two rounds of play-offs to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.
Sarina Wiegman said: "We win five games, we have 15 points and we're in a group with the world champions and then you can't qualify."
Midfielder Georgia Stanway stated: "It's very rare that you get 15 points and still not make it out of the group."
Not yet confirmed
Only one source provided the specific numbers of goals scored (13) and conceded (5) by England, along with the tally of clean sheets (four).
Only one source listed possible first-round play-off opponents: Lithuania, Kosovo, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Belarus, Croatia, and Kazakhstan.
Only one source detailed the analysis of England's performance against Spain, including player assessments and tactical observations.
Only one source quoted defender Niamh Charles: "Spain are an incredible side. When you look at our fixtures, it shows the two top teams were playing in a group together."
The sources do not specify when exactly the play-off matches will take place beyond the months of October, November, and December.
Key figures
Sarina Wiegman – England manager
Georgia Stanway – England midfielder
Beth Mead – England forward
Alessia Russo – England striker
Niamh Charles – England defender
Sources: BBC News, Sky Sports
