Lionesses will face Greece in World Cup play-offs

Lionesses will face Greece in World Cup play-offsImage source, PA MediaImage caption, England won five of their six World Cup qualifiers but missed out on automatic qualification by losing 4-0 to Spain earlier this monthBySally FreedmanBBC Sport senior journalistPublished18 June 2026, 12:10 BSTUpdated 16 minutes agoEngland have been drawn to play Greece in round one of the 2027 Women’s World Cup play-offs.The Lionesses must get through two rounds of home and away ties to qualify for the tournament in Brazil. Should England beat Greece, they will face the winners of Slovakia v Ukraine with the away fixture played first. Fixture dates are to be confirmed, but matches will take place in October, November and December. Despite England securing five wins from their six qualifying matches, Spain finished top of the group and secured the one automatic spot. Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland also found out who they will be playing for a place at the World Cup. In round one, Wales face Albania, Scotland play the Czech Republic and Northern Ireland take on Portugal.Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland will play Kazakhstan. The full draw is: Round 1, path 1 Lithuania v SwedenRomania v NorwayGreece v EnglandCroatia v IcelandKazakhstan v Republic of IrelandKosovo v AustriaHungary v NetherlandsBelarus v ItalyRound 1, path 2 Albania v WalesTurkey v SloveniaSlovakia v UkraineIsrael v SwitzerlandBelgium v PolandCzech Republic v ScotlandNorthern Ireland v PortugalFinland v SerbiaRound 2Slovakia or Ukraine v Greece or EnglandFinland or Serbia v Belarus or ItalyNorthern Ireland or Portugal v Croatia or IcelandAlbania or Wales v Romania or NorwayIsrael or Switzerland v Kosovo or AustriaCzech Republic or Scotland v Lithuania or SwedenBelgium or Poland v Kazakhstan or the Republic of IrelandTurkey or Slovenia v Hungary or NetherlandsAnalysis: What are the home nations’ chances?ByEmma Sanders