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Lionesses' World Cup qualifying path confirmed in play-off draw

England will face Greece in the first round of Women's World Cup qualifying play-offs in October, having failed to secure direct entry into next summer's tournament. Defeat to Spain in June proved extremely costly for the Lionesses, allowing the world champions to top the qualifying group instead, and now Sarina Wiegman's side must navigate two rounds of two-legged play-offs instead, starting against Greece.

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England's Lionesses have always had great goalscorers. Even before the team was the major contender it is now, winning back-to-back European Championships under Sarina Wiegman and reaching a first Women's World Cup final, they could boast some incredible attacking talent, with Arsenal icon Kelly Smith, widely considered the Lionesses' greatest ever player, a prime example.

What World Cup play-offs mean for wounded Lionesses

It was all there for England on Friday, as they faced Spain in Mallorca with automatic qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup on the line. Avoid defeat and the Lionesses would punch their ticket to Brazil, forcing one of their biggest rivals for next summer’s title to have to navigate the play-offs. It was a huge opportunity, but one they spurned in incredible circumstances, suffering a 4-0 loss that stands out as the biggest for this team under Sarina Wiegman.