England Lionesses drawn with Greece in 2027 Women's World Cup play-offs

England must navigate two rounds of home and away matches to secure a place at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.

England face Greece first The Lionesses have been paired with Greece in the opening round of the 2027 Women's World Cup play-offs. To book their ticket to Brazil, England must survive two consecutive knockout ties played over home and away legs. If they overcome Greece, the next opponent would be the victor of the Slovakia versus Ukraine matchup, with the away game scheduled first. Official fixture dates are still pending, but all matches are expected to take place between October and December. ## Spain claims automatic spot Despite England winning five of their six qualifying matches, Spain finished top of the group and secured the single automatic qualification berth. Earlier this month, England suffered a 4-0 defeat to Spain, which ultimately cost them direct entry into the World Cup. Alongside England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland now know their respective play-off opponents. ## Round one fixtures confirmed The first round of play-off matches features four key ties. Wales will face Albania, Scotland will play the Czech Republic, Northern Ireland will take on Portugal, and the Republic of Ireland will square off against Kazakhstan. Following these games, the winners will advance to the next phase, where further matchups will determine the final qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. ## Full second round matchups The second round of the play-offs includes these fixtures based on the outcomes of round one. The potential pairings are as follows: - Slovakia or Ukraine vs Greece or England - Finland or Serbia vs Belarus or Italy - Northern Ireland or Portugal vs Croatia or Iceland - Albania or Wales vs Romania or Norway - Israel or Switzerland vs Kosovo or Austria - Czech Republic or Scotland vs Lithuania or Sweden - Belgium or Poland vs Kazakhstan or the Republic of Ireland - Turkey or Slovenia vs Hungary or Netherlands