England draw Greece in first round of 2027 World Cup play-offs

England’s route to the 2027 Women’s World Cup now runs through Greece, a tie that should suit Sarina Wiegman’s side on paper but leaves no margin for drift in the knockout phase. UEFA’s draw in Nyon on Thursday set England against Greece in round one, with a possible round-two meeting against either Slovakia or Ukraine standing between the Lionesses and Brazil.

The format is unforgiving. England must win two play-off rounds to book their place at the finals, and the European section will be played from 7 October to 5 December 2026. Seven of the eight round-two winners will qualify directly for the World Cup; the final remaining side will drop into the inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027, where one last place will still be on the line.

England enter the play-offs with pedigree that would normally make them strong favourites. They are the reigning European champions after lifting UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, and they sat fourth in the FIFA women’s rankings as of 16 June 2026. Yet the draw also underlined how thin the safety net has become for top teams in Europe. A 4-0 defeat to Spain in Mallorca on 5 June, with goals from Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas, Clàudia Pina and another from Putellas, denied England automatic qualification and pushed one of the continent’s most established sides into the play-off route.

That is why the Greece tie matters beyond reputation. In a short knockout format, ranking and recent silverware only go so far if a performance drops even slightly. England’s path now depends on preparation, execution and the ability to manage pressure across two ties, with the reward for getting through round one being another decisive test against Slovakia or Ukraine.

UEFA’s draw involved 32 teams across Europe, reflecting how crowded the route to Brazil has become. Denmark, Germany, France and Spain had already sealed direct qualification through the group stage, leaving the play-offs to sort the rest. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales also learned their opponents, a sign that the competition for a place at the 2027 finals is widening even as the traditional powers remain in contention.