Home Nations Begin Women's World Cup Play-Off Routes — SkimNews
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- England open their Women's World Cup play-off campaign against Greece, with the first leg in Crete on Friday 9 October (17:30 BST) and the second leg at Leicester's King Power Stadium on 13 October (19:30 BST).
- Spain claimed the one automatic qualifying spot from England's group despite the Lionesses winning five of six matches, forcing Sarina Wiegman's side into a two-round play-off path to Brazil 2027.
- Wiegman omitted Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly from her squad, telling BBC Radio 5 Live they "have not been playing to their full potential" in recent weeks despite previously starring for the team.
- Wales (v Albania), Scotland (v Czech Republic), Northern Ireland (v Portugal) and the Republic of Ireland (v Kazakhstan) all begin round-one ties on Friday.
- Should England advance, they meet the winners of Slovakia v Ukraine in round two (26 November–5 December 2026); England beat Ukraine 9-1 on aggregate in qualifying, and sit 55 places above Greece in the FIFA table.
- Wales have never beaten a top-20 ranked nation in a competitive fixture, Scotland are chasing just their second World Cup finals after 2019, and the Republic of Ireland could face Belgium in round two after a 3,100-mile trip to Kazakhstan.
Why it matters: England won five of six but finished second behind world champions Spain, forcing the European champions into a two-round play-off path to Brazil 2027. Wales, still seeking a first-ever competitive win over a top-20 nation, face Albania; Scotland chase just their second World Cup after 2019.
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