England beat Greece 3-1 away to take control of World Cup playoff
England moved closer to the 2027 Women's World Cup with a 3-1 win away to Greece in the first leg of their playoff tie.
Georgia Stanway, Maya Le Tissier and Alessia Russo scored the goals in Crete. Ioanna Papatheodorou replied for the hosts. The Guardian
A playoff tie is played over two legs, one away and one at home. The combined score across both games decides who goes through.
Le Tissier's goal was her first for England. Stanway and Russo added the other two to give England control of the tie. Papatheodorou's strike kept Greece in touch at 3-1.
The match kicked off at 5.30pm BST on Friday 9 October 2026. It was held at Pankritio Stadium in Crete as part of qualifying for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027. England Football
Greece started the night ranked 59th in the world. England were expected to win, but away legs in qualifying are rarely simple. A two-goal lead is strong. It is not yet decisive.
The second leg is scheduled for Tuesday in England. A draw or a narrow defeat would still be enough for England to advance on aggregate.
This tie sits inside Play-off Round 1 of Europe's qualifiers for the 2027 tournament, scheduled for 7-13 October 2026. Play-off Round 2 is scheduled for 25 November to 5 December. UEFA
Greece reached this stage after competing in Group C5. England must still finish the job to stay on the road to the finals.
For fans, this means Tuesday is about focus, not celebration. England have the goals. They have the lead. One calm home performance will get them through.
