Lionesses face the long road to 2027 World Cup

For England fans, this one is going to sting. The Lionesses had a near-perfect qualifying campaign and were on the verge of ­automatic World Cup qualification before their ­sobering outing in Mallorca against Spain where they lost 4-0. They scored 13 goals and conceded five, four of which came against Spain, and despite keeping four clean sheets, now they must take the long route to Brazil.

Humbled and hungry, the Lionesses arrived at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday determined to claim a statement win against Ukraine. It was clear they were refreshed. Jess Carter and Georgia Stanway put England 2-0 up by half-time before ­substitute Beth Mead’s free-kick – and her 40th goal for England – confirmed their 3-0 victory in the second half.

But, it was bittersweet because despite a performance featuring 80.9% possession and 10 shots on target, England will have to go through playoffs after finishing runners-up in the League A3 group. Spain topped the group with yet another emphatic win, this time a 6-1 thrashing against Iceland, and a better head-to-head record against the Lionesses means they have booked their place in the World Cup.

With only the top side going through, it was always going to be either the world champions or back-to-back European champions. “The competition in Europe is really high,” said head coach, Sarina Wiegman. “What I’m ­disappointed about is that we win five games, we have 15 points and we’re in a group with the world champions and then you can’t qualify.

Had England qualified, they would have had a year to prepare for the World Cup. Now, their focus must remain on qualifying for the remainder of 2026. A clear gulf remains between England and Spain and there is still time for remedies. However, this scenario also brings to light the ludicrousness of England and Spain being drawn in the same group.

“The Nations League brought more competition in Europe. I think that’s a good thing because you have to always show up. It’s a good thing for the fans too who get to see these exciting games. We’ve also noticed we have to play Spain so many times,” Wiegman added.

England will be seeded in the first round of playoffs, drawn against one of the League C group-winners, or one of the two best-ranked League C runners-up. Possible opponents include Lithuania, Kosovo, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Belarus, Croatia and Kazakhstan.

Then, they need to progress through a second two-legged tie and could face the likes of Wales and Belgium – the latter of whom have beaten England under Wiegman’s tenure. The draws take place on Thursday, with matches to be played between October and December.

Photograph by Naomi Baker – The FA via Getty Images