Clinical Lionesses demolish Greece 8-1 on aggregate to set up Ukraine World Cup qualifier

England secured a commanding passage into the final round of Women’s World Cup qualifying by beating Greece 8-1 on aggregate, setting up a two-legged play-off against Ukraine with a place at Brazil 2027 on the line.

Sarina Wiegman’s side opened the tie with a 3-1 win in Crete before returning to Leicester and producing a ruthless 5-0 victory to wrap up the tie in emphatic fashion. The result means England are now two matches away from confirming their spot at next summer’s tournament.

England’s route through the play-offs was made necessary by finishing second to world champions Spain in their initial qualifying group. That runner-up finish forced the Lionesses into a two-round play-off path — a detour they will be eager to complete without further complications.

Ukraine, their next opponents, earned their place in the final round by beating Slovakia 4-1 on aggregate. The two sides are not strangers: England defeated Ukraine 6-1 in a group-stage match played in Türkiye — Ukraine being unable to host at home due to the ongoing conflict with Russia — and followed that up with a 3-0 win at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The first leg of the final qualifying round is scheduled for 26 November at a venue yet to be confirmed, with Ukraine again unable to stage the match on home soil. England will then host the return fixture at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 5 December.

The stakes could hardly be higher for a squad that reached the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, where they were beaten by Spain. Missing out on Brazil entirely would represent a significant blow to a programme that has established itself among the world’s elite under Wiegman. Two wins in late November and early December would end that uncertainty and book their place in South America.