England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all advanced to the second round of Women's World Cup qualifying play-offs on Tuesday, 13 October, with varying degrees of success. The five home nations entered their first-leg ties with hopes of securing spots at the 2027 tournament in Brazil, and their results have set up a decisive week of return matches.
England secured a commanding 3-1 victory away to Greece in Heraklion, with Georgia Stanway, Maya le Tissier and Alessia Russo finding the net. According to FIFA's official review of the round-one fixtures, Greece's goal came through Calliste Brookshire in the 78th minute. The Lionesses will host the second leg at King Power Stadium in Leicester on Tuesday, 13 October at 19:30 BST, where they will seek to convert their advantage into an aggregate win. Radio commentary will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Scotland defeated the Czech Republic 2-0 at home, Wales won 1-0 away to Albania, and the Republic of Ireland produced a dominant 8-0 display against Kazakhstan. Northern Ireland's prospects appear bleak after losing 4-0 to Portugal in their opening fixture.
What happens next for England?
Should England overcome Greece across the two legs, they will face the winners of Slovakia versus Ukraine in round two. According to UEFA's fixture listing, Ukraine currently leads Slovakia 3-1 after their first leg, positioning them as the likely opponent for England's potential second-round tie. The exact dates for those second-leg fixtures are yet to be confirmed, though they will take place between 26 November and 5 December 2026, with the away fixture scheduled first.
England's route to Brazil has been complicated by their group assignment. Despite securing five wins from six qualifying matches, world champions Spain finished top of the Lionesses' group and claimed the single automatic qualification spot, forcing England into the play-offs. However, Wiegman's side are in a commanding position and are firm favourites to progress against Greece, who sit 55 places beneath them in the FIFA world rankings. England also beat potential round-two opponents Ukraine in both qualifying group matches with an aggregate score of 9-1, suggesting they would be well-positioned for that tie.
How are the other home nations faring?
Scotland are aiming to reach only their second Women's World Cup, having appeared in 2019 but failing to qualify in 2023. They performed well in qualifying, including drawing with Belgium, which demonstrated their ability to compete with Europe's strongest teams. Playing the Czech Republic at 19:15 BST on Tuesday, they would face big-hitters Sweden in round two if they progress—a team that has reached the semi-finals in the past two Women's World Cups.
Wales defeated Albania 1-0 away in their first leg and will host the return fixture at 19:15 BST on Tuesday. There is optimism surrounding their prospects, as Rhian Wilkinson's side thrashed the same opponents 4-0 during qualifying and already possess a first-leg advantage. However, Wales have never beaten a team ranked inside the world's top 20 in a competitive fixture and may need to achieve that feat to qualify for the tournament.
The Republic of Ireland produced an emphatic 8-0 victory over Kazakhstan in Kazakhstan, completing a 3,100-mile journey for the first leg. With such a commanding lead, Carla Ward's side are already looking ahead to round two, where they could face Belgium—a team they performed superbly against during qualifying.
Northern Ireland's World Cup hopes appear to have effectively ended after their 4-0 defeat to Portugal in the first leg. Head coach Michael McArdle described the task of overturning the deficit in the second leg, away from home, as
"impossible". They will face Portugal again at 19:15 BST on Tuesday.
Why did England struggle in qualifying?
England did not want to enter the play-offs but were dealt an unfavourable draw when grouped with world champions Spain. Manager Sarina Wiegman named her initial squad last month with notable absences for Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly. When questioned about the omissions, Wiegman explained:
"They have not been playing to their full potential. Of course, I still believe in these players. They are really good and have shown so much for us."Toone subsequently received a call-up after Lucy Bronze withdrew from the squad due to a slight injury, though she featured only on the bench during the Greece match and did not take the pitch in Heraklion.
What is the broader context for these play-offs?
Four teams—Denmark, France, Germany and Spain—had already qualified directly for Brazil 2027 as League A group winners. According to FIFA's official play-off information, UEFA has 11 places available at the finals: seven round-two winners will qualify directly, while the remaining round-two winner enters the inter-confederation play-offs for a final spot. The 16 round-one winners are scheduled to contest round two between 26 November and 5 December 2026, with the seven highest-ranked winners securing direct qualification to the World Cup.
Key Facts
- England lead Greece 3-1 after the first leg and face them at home on Tuesday, 13 October at 19:15 BST
- Scotland (2-0 vs Czech Republic), Wales (1-0 vs Albania) and the Republic of Ireland (8-0 vs Kazakhstan) all won their first legs; Northern Ireland lost 4-0 to Portugal
- Four teams—Denmark, France, Germany and Spain—qualified automatically as League A group winners
- Seven of the 16 round-two winners will qualify directly for Brazil 2027; the eighth enters inter-confederation play-offs
- Round-two fixtures are scheduled for 26 November to 5 December 2026
