England's 2027 Women's World Cup squad ladder: Who will make the cut for Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses next summer?

Because of the stability around the Lionesses and Wiegman's prolonged time in charge, plus the information we have from previous major tournaments, there are a lot of players one can confidently pencil in for a place on the plane to Brazil next summer - granted injury does not strike any of them down.

Captain Leah Williamson is absolutely one of those, granted she is fit, as is starting goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. Others who have cemented places in Wiegman's XI over the course of her tenure include Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Lauren James, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo.

Alex Greenwood, meanwhile, may not always be a starter depending on the centre-back pairing of choice and the left-back conundrum. However, her ability to play both roles makes her a constant.

Total players: 9

It would be easy to make an argument for several players in this next group to be included among the locks above, but they just slip into a lower category because they are not quite the nailed-on starters that the others are. It would still be a huge shock if any of these players were not chosen by Wiegman to represent the Lionesses in Brazil, as they have asserted themselves as big-time players and important leaders over the course of her time in charge.

Among them are Jess Carter, Esme Morgan and Beth Mead, who are almost always certain to be involved in England squads right now, though can be rotated in and out of the line-up depending on how Wiegman sets up her team. All three offer valuable versatility alongside their quality and experience and look set to be vital members of the 2027 squad.

Total players: 12

From this point onwards, the certainty levels drops. That said, players in this category are trending positively in the England frame and are extremely likely to be involved next summer as a result.

Jess Park has shown great form since her move to Man Utd in the summer of 2025, demonstrating versatility that is valuable. Both Laura Blindkilde Brown and Lucia Kendall, meanwhile, have been given some big opportunities by Wiegman and really impressed. Both, too, can play a variety of roles in midfield.

Maya Le Tissier has also improved her standing in recent months, especially with her performances as a wing-back in the new system Wiegman has been trialling.

If all four can continue in this manner, they should be heading to the 2027 Women's World Cup as important squad members, be it as reliable back-ups or useful impact subs.

Total players: 16

There are then several players who have been stalwarts in this England team in recent years, but whose trajectory is more on the downward curve. That needs to be addressed as soon as possible given it is less than nine months until the World Cup.

Among them, Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly are the most notable. Both were left out of Wiegman's most recent squad due to performance levels that the manager believes can be higher, though Toone was brought in as an injury replacement for the camp in the end. Kelly's situation in particular is a concern as she is not getting as regular game time at club level.

Aggie Beever-Jones and Grace Clinton have not been as vital at major tournaments as Toone and Kelly but they have been regulars in the squad, something that is changing recently. Both have had niggling injuries that have contributed to their situations but more minutes with their clubs and better performances will be needed to get into the World Cup squad. Beever-Jones is one to watch especially given the lack of depth England have at centre forward.

All four are players that have credit in the bank with Wiegman but unless they improve their form, they could miss out next summer.

Total players: 20

Notably, FIFA released regulations for the 2027 Women's World Cup in April and, in there, it was announced that the squad size has been increased to 26 players. This has been common in major tournaments in men's football for a while now but it had yet to reach the women's game in a widespread way, with Wiegman limited to 23 players for the 2023 Women's World Cup and Euro 2025. However, she will get to pick another three names if England make it to the tournament in Brazil.

Among the decisions to be made when it comes to the final few spots is picking the two goalkeepers who will back up Hampton. Wiegman's options here have struggled for consistent game time in recent months and that will likely be the difference in the end. Summer transfers for Khiara Keating, to Liverpool, and Sophie Baggaley, to Birmingham City, increase their chances, but Ellie Roebuck looks to have real competition for her place at Aston Villa. Anna Moorhouse, meanwhile, had separated herself from this group by playing week-in, week-out for the Orlando Pride but a loan move to Man City, where she looks like she'll be a back-up, sees her drop into this category.

When it comes to defenders, because of how versatile so many of the more likely members of this projected 2027 Women's World Cup squad are, it's always hard to gauge what group Wiegman will settle on. Realistically, all the bases in the back line are covered with the six mentioned previously, so it's just about what other qualities or what extra positional depth she wants to have at her disposal.

Niamh Charles, Anouk Denton and Taylor Hinds can all play on the right or the left, with Poppy Pattinson also recently emerging as a natural option for that problematic left-back role. Centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy, meanwhile, was part of the squads at Euro 2022, the 2023 Women's World Cup and Euro 2025, and that could work strongly in her favour, though her game time with Arsenal will also be a factor.

In midfield, Erica Parkinson, the 17-year-old who won her first senior call-up for the April international break due to injuries to Toone and Clinton, has entered the conversation, especially after winning her first cap in October. Lexi Potter was another debutante during the two-legged play-off against Greece and she impressed plenty when she started the second leg of that tie. She feels like a player that could really jump up this ladder in the coming months, especially given her form at Chelsea.

Then there is Freya Godfrey, the 21-year-old who has been regularly involved in England squads in the last year and finally made her debut in October. She showed good versatility by playing in a left wing-back role against Greece and will hope to maintain her status of being involved in every Lionesses camp since her first call-up last November as the World Cup approaches.

Total players: 32

Could anyone else be in the mix? It's not impossible. Wiegman is no stranger to recalling players from out of the wilderness. She took Laura Coombs to the 2023 Women's World Cup, ending the Man City star's eight-year absence from the England squad, and she also brought Nikita Parris back in last year after the forward had spent over two years out of favour, though she did not make the cut for Euro 2025 in the end.

So, who could follow in their footsteps and come into this England squad seemingly out of the blue, if they were needed?

Millie Turner and Lucy Parker are both regulars in the WSL who have been on the fringes of the Lionesses squad under Wiegman and could probably be next in the pecking order if injuries were to hit the centre-back group.

Keira Barry, meanwhile, got a call-up back in April when Godfrey pulled out with an injury, though she did see her own camp cut short by an ankle issue. It's become a frustratingly regular occurrence for Barry in the last few years. She'll hope she can get the regular game time that proves not only her fitness but her quality before the World Cup, though some injuries to others in the attacking areas may be necessary to create a path for her into the team.

In midfield, Ruby Mace and Maisie Symonds are both young prospects who have had senior call-ups, are playing regularly at club level and have been heavily involved with England's Under-23s. Wiegman has regularly looked to the U23s to round out her squad when others have been missing, as well as when young players have deserved the chance to make the step up.

Again, as things stand, it would be unlikely for any of these five to be involved in 2027. Indeed, Parker, Barry and Symonds are uncapped despite being in senior squads, and Turner and Mace only have one cap apiece. But all of them have shown their qualities in the WSL, they have been in the environment and the cases of Mace, Barry and Symonds could change in particular, given all three are still very young and could take big strides forward between now and next summer.

Total players: 37

During her four-and-a-half years in charge of this team, Wiegman has given caps to 48 different players. Six of those have since retired, but there are still a lot of names out there still playing, some in the second-tier of English football, who the current Lionesses boss had in her England picture at one point or another.

Many of them are older players who have since been usurped into the squad by younger talents, such as Parris, Bethany England and Jordan Nobbs. Elsewhere, neither Katie Zelem nor Gabby George really captured Wiegman's attention when involved in camps, despite playing positions that needed filling in the squad.

There are a couple of younger players in this bracket, too, who haven't quite kicked on after breaking into the England squad. Ebony Salmon hasn't had a call-up since February 2023, having struggled to score consistently over the years. Katie Robinson, meanwhile, seemed to be a real favourite of Wiegman's and even earned a place in the 2023 Women's World Cup squad, heading to Australia as the Lionesses' youngest player, aged 20. However, she's not been involved with the seniors since September of that year, despite being a regular with the U23s for a long time after that point.

Total players: 44

Throwing a spanner in the works for this projection are a handful of long-term absentees who will return to action before the 2027 World Cup kicks-off, meaning they are still in contention for a spot on the plane but difficult to place right now.

Of them, Agyemang is the likeliest to make the squad next summer. The forward was a revelation in 2025, bursting onto the scene with a goal just 41 seconds into her Lionesses debut as part of a late run into the Euros squad. In Switzerland, she scored twice in the knockouts and was named Young Player of the Tournament, only to sustain an ACL injury in October. She will, however, be back soon and will hope to pick up where she left off to bolster Wiegman’s centre-forward options.

There are three more players on the fringe of this squad who have been sidelined with ACL injuries. Jessica Naz, the Tottenham forward who has been out since December 2025, has six caps to her name; teenager Katie Reid has yet to make her senior international debut but was one of the most in-form centre-backs in the country when she earned her first Lionesses call-up in November, days before her injury news; and Ella Morris was brought in as a potential solution for the lack of depth at right-back just before Euro 2025, only to sustain her knee issue on that very camp. Morris made her return to action in early April and has plenty of time to get back in contention.

Missy Bo Kearns is another absentee. Initially, that was for much happier reasons. The Aston Villa midfielder announced in March 2026 that she was pregnant with her first child, due in September. However, at the end of March, she revealed that she had devastatingly lost the baby. Kearns was on standby for Euro 2025 and played in two of England’s friendlies at the end of the year, getting opportunities ahead of the likes of Blindkilde Brown and Clinton.

Total: 49