Wales and Scotland advanced to the next stage of qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil following victories over Albania and Czechia, respectively. Wales secured a place in round two of the playoffs with a comprehensive 4-0 aggregate win, bolstered by goals from Mayzee Davies, Elise Hughes, and Hannah Cain. Scotland also progressed after defeating Czechia 3-2 on the night at St Mirren, with an aggregate score of 5-2. Their goals came from Lauren Davidson, Kathleen McGovern, and Christy Grimshaw.

In other regional fixtures, Northern Ireland was defeated 3-1 in Portugal, extending their aggregate deficit to 7-1 following a heavy first-leg loss at Inver Park. Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland convincingly overcame Kazakhstan, winning 4-0 on the night and 12-0 on aggregate.

Elsewhere, England continued their dominant World Cup qualifying campaign with a commanding 5-1 victory over Greece at Leicester City’s stadium. England’s Arsenal forward, Russo, scored her fourth goal in four matches for club and country, breaking a recent scoring drought in the Women’s Super League. England’s performance was led by Georgia Stanway and Lauren James, who both made significant contributions in the first half.

James, returning to form after injury issues that hampered her during the 2025 Euros, scored twice in the first 45 minutes. Her goals framed a header by Stanway, assisted by Lauren Hemp’s precise crosses. England controlled possession decisively, limiting Greece to just 16% possession in the opening period and converting four of six shots on target. A debut goal by Lexi Potter was disallowed for a foul after a challenge on a Greek defender.

Coach Sarina Wiegman substituted James at halftime, bringing on Beth Mead to preserve player fitness as England maintained their control. The team continued to dominate after the break, with Stanway scoring again but having the goal ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside.

At the 60-minute mark, Wiegman introduced emerging players Niamh Charles, Jess Park, and Freya Godfrey, using the comfortable aggregate lead to rotate the squad ahead of upcoming matches. Despite these changes, England remained dominant throughout the game.

Late in the match, Russo capitalized on a pass from Keira Walsh, rounding the Greek goalkeeper Styliani Katergiannaki to score England’s fifth goal. The victory brought chants from the crowd hoping for even more goals, though the match ended without further scoring.

While England’s superiority was clear, the level of their opposition tempered any firm conclusions about their current form. The team’s prior struggles with injury and a four-month break from international football were noted as potential factors for some sluggish moments, as seen in Greece’s goal scored during the first leg in Crete.

England’s next qualifying opponent is Ukraine, who eliminated Slovakia 4-1 on aggregate. Having already secured a 9-1 aggregate win over Ukraine earlier in the campaign, England appears well positioned to confirm their place at the World Cup in Brazil.