England have put themselves in a commanding position in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers, securing a 3-1 victory over Greece in their play-off semi-final first leg in Crete.
Sarina Wiegman’s side traveled to Heraklion with high expectations and delivered a professional performance. Despite an early scare when Lauren James saw her opening effort ruled out for offside—followed closely by Greece’s Ioanna Papatheodorou striking the crossbar—England quickly took control.
How England Secured Their Advantage
The breakthrough came courtesy of Georgia Stanway, who netted her fifth goal of the qualifying campaign right before the half-time whistle to give the Lionesses a crucial lead.
💪 Things to work on
💥 Maya Le Tissier’s performance
🔟 Lauren James playing in the tenSarina Wiegman spoke to Katie Shanahan following England’s 3-1 win over Greece https://t.co/CGUVcJTlRF
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 9, 2026
After the interval, England pressed home their advantage:
- Maya Le Tissier doubled the lead, scoring her very first senior international goal for her country.
- Alessia Russo added a third to effectively put the game beyond Greece’s reach.
England will now take a comfortable two-goal cushion back home for the second leg at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday. The aggregate winner of this tie will advance to face either Slovakia or Ukraine in the next round for a coveted spot at next summer’s tournament.
Belgium Edge Out Poland in Path B Battle
Elsewhere in the qualifiers, Belgium claimed a vital 1-0 home victory over Poland in Leuven. Carla Ward’s side established their winning edge thanks to a dramatic added-time goal from Elena Dhont right at the end of the first half.
The victory keeps the Belgians in pole position within Path B as both nations battle for supremacy, with the ultimate prize potentially leading to a clash against Ireland in the subsequent qualifying phase.
Other Play-Off Results at a Glance
Action across the European play-offs yielded several decisive first-leg results:
- Wales edged past Albania with a narrow 1-0 away victory.
- Scotland secured a solid 2-0 win away against Czechia.
- Northern Ireland face an uphill battle in their return leg after falling 4-0 to Portugal.
As the second legs approach, teams are one step closer to locking in their places on the world stage, with tensions and stakes running high across the continent.
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