How can home nations reach Women's World Cup?

England must overcome two rounds of home and away ties to secure a spot in the Women's World Cup in Brazil. Their first opponent in round one of the play-offs is Greece, with the first leg taking place on Friday, 9th October at 17:30 BST at King Power Stadium in Leicester. The second leg will be played at home on Tuesday, 13th October at 19:30 BST. Commentary for both matches will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Should England emerge victorious over Greece, they will face the winners of the Slovakia v Ukraine tie. The second leg of that match will also be played away first, with the exact dates between 26th November and 5th December 2026 yet to be confirmed. Head coach Sarina Wiegman initially named her squad last month, though Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly were notable absences. Wiegman explained that they had not been playing to their full potential and needed to work on improving.

The play-offs are being contested by England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales will face their respective opponents on Friday, 9th October: Wales vs Albania, Scotland vs Czech Republic, and Northern Ireland vs Portugal. The Republic of Ireland will take on Kazakhstan on Saturday, 10th October.

England secured five wins from their six qualifying matches, but Spain finished at the top of their group and earned the one automatic World Cup place. Wiegman acknowledged the difficulty of the draw, stating that the focus now is on preparation and ensuring they dominate games and have plenty of possession. Despite England's desire to avoid the play-offs, Wiegman believes her team has a strong chance against Greece, who are ranked 55 places lower in the FIFA world rankings.