England's Women's World Cup 2027 hopes still alive despite Spain loss

England's loss to Spain leaves their automatic World Cup qualification in jeopardy, but play-off routes remain open.

Spain's strong hold on Group A The Lionesses suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Spain in Majorca on Friday, a result that ended their hopes of securing automatic qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil through the group stage. Spain now sits level on points with England at the top of Group A, overtaking the European champions due to a superior head-to-head record. If Spain win their next match against Iceland on Tuesday, they will clinch a World Cup spot regardless of England's result against Ukraine at the same time. England had previously beaten Spain 1-0 at Wembley in April, but this recent setback has complicated their path forward. ## England's play-off pathway to Brazil Even with this loss, England's World Cup ambitions are not yet over. If they finish as runners-up in their qualifying group, they will enter the European play-offs, which consist of two rounds of home-and-away fixtures. As a League A runner-up, England would be seeded in the first round and could face a League C group winner or one of the two best-ranked League C runners-up, such as Hungary or Romania, in the initial tie. England would host the second leg of this round. However, winning this match alone would not guarantee a World Cup berth; they would still need to progress through a second two-leg play-off round, with the winning teams earning spots in the finals in Brazil. ## Play-off draw and schedule details The draws for both rounds of European play-offs are set for 18 June 2026, with matches scheduled across October and late November to early December of the same year. The first round ties would determine which teams advance to the second round, where further knockout matches will decide the final qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. England's route remains entirely dependent on their performance in these upcoming play-off stages. ## Other League B groups and their standings Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are competing in League B and can only secure a World Cup spot via the European play-offs. Scotland currently leads Group B4 with 11 points, tied with Belgium on head-to-head but holding a four-goal goal difference advantage. Their final match against Israel on Tuesday will be crucial, as they must at least match Belgium's result against Luxembourg to top the group. A positive outcome would ensure Scotland's seeding for the play-offs, potentially setting up a future clash with England. ## Scotland's potential play-off seeding Should Scotland finish as Group B4 runners-up, they would be drawn against a seeded team from League A or League B in the play-offs. This could provide a more favorable draw and, in theory, a potential future matchup against England. Their strong goal difference and current lead give them a realistic chance of securing a top-two finish and avoiding an unseeded draw in the play-offs. ## Northern Ireland and Wales' play-off scenarios Northern Ireland cannot surpass Turkey in Group B2 after a 2-1 defeat in Istanbul on Friday, leaving them in third place. As an unseeded League B third-placed team, they would face a seeded opponent from League A or League B in the play-offs. Wales, currently second in Group B1 behind Czech Republic after a 1-1 draw in Montenegro, must beat the Czechs in their final match to secure top spot and play-off seeding. A draw or defeat would place them in second and pair them with a seeded team from League A or League B. ## Republic of Ireland's surge in Group A2 The Republic of Ireland completed a significant step in their qualification bid by defeating the Netherlands 3-2, overtaking them to move into second place in Group A2. Their next match against current group leaders France on Tuesday could secure top spot and a direct qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. A victory would guarantee their progress, while any other result would leave their fate uncertain.