England must face play-offs to qualify for next year's World Cup

England's women's soccer team, the reigning European champions, can no longer secure automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Having finished runners-up to Spain in Group A3, England is set to enter a challenging play-off this autumn despite a recent victory over Ukraine. The team suffered a significant 4-0 defeat to Spain, raising questions about their form and selections under coach Sarina Wiegman. The match against Ukraine, where England won 3-0, was a better showing, but failed to overshadow the loss to Spain, marking the first time in 25 years England has not topped its World Cup qualifying group.