World Cup

World Cup news

Chloe Kelly Alexia Putellas Sarina Wiegman England Spain composite

Lionesses to face Spain again in nightmare World Cup qualifying draw

England were handed a nightmare draw in qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup, with the Lionesses to battle Spain for the only automatic berth in the group. Sarina Wiegman's side were able to defeat La Roja in the Euro 2025 final back in July but finished as runners-up to the world champions in the Nations League earlier this year, having failed to deliver the same level of consistency across the group stage as the side boasting two Ballon d'Or winners, in Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati.

United States of America v Netherlands : Final - 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France

'Incredibly proud' U.S. Soccer confirms co-hosts for 2031 WWC bid

It has been confirmed that U.S. Soccer's 2031 Women's World Cup bid will include Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica. The announcement comes after FIFA gave unanimous approval to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams. It is a new chapter in women’s football with even more participating nations, a greater number of matches, and a global reach never seen before.

Micayla Johnson, Scottie Antonucci, USA

Johnson, Ream headline U.S. U17 Women's World Cup roster

U.S. coach Katie Schoepfer has selected the 21-player roster that will represent the country at the 2025 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco next month, with the squad featuring an three current NWSL professionals. The American team will begin their tournament journey against Ecuador on Oct. 18 before facing China and Norway in the remaining Group C matches.

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Sarina Wiegman 2025

FA chief offers update on Wiegman's future after Euro 2025 win

Football Association (FA) chief executive Mark Bullingham has offered a guarded response regarding Sarina Wiegman's long-term future as England boss following the Lionesses' dramatic Euro 2025 final triumph over Spain. While Wiegman remains under contract through the 2027 World Cup, there is no confirmation yet about her plans beyond that tournament.

Frequently asked questions

Since the Conference League's inception in 2021, three teams have lifted the trophy: Roma, West Ham United, and the current champions, Olympiacos.

The newest format, introduced ahead of the 2024-25 season, features 36 teams, four more than in the previous format.

Mainz 05 midfielder Hong Hyun-seok and Gent captain Sven Kums have made 39 appearances each in the Conference League, making them the players with the most appearances in the competition.

As for top goalscorers, Arthur Cabral leads the list with 21 goals to his name, including those scored in the qualifying phase. However, without taking into account goals scored in the qualifying phase, three players have scored the joint-most goals in Conference League with 12 each to their names: Arthur Cabral, Eran Zahavi, and Vangelis Pavlidis.

Darian Males, Gavriel Kanichowsky, and Cristiano Biraghi have the most assists in Conference League history, registering eight assists each.

Veteran Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina, while playing for Villarreal in 2023, became the oldest player to feature in the Conference League at 40 years and 175 days.

Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi holds the record as the Conference League's youngest-ever player at the tender age of 16 years and 3 days.

Stars such as Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Tammy Abraham, Declan Rice, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins,Co Mario Gotze, Kasper Schmeichel, Cody Gakpo, Stephan El Shaarawy, James Maddison, Jonathan David, and Edin Dzeko have played in the Conference League.

Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho, Unai Emery, David Moyes, and Ange Postecoglou are among the most famous managers to have managed in the Conference League.