England Settles for World Cup Play-offs After Spain Tops Qualifying Group
England defeated Ukraine 3-0 but failed to secure automatic qualification for the 2025 Women's World Cup because Spain won their group match against Iceland, leaving England to finish second in their qualifying group. England and Spain, the 2023 World Cup finalists, were competing for one of only four automatic qualification spots available in the Nations League qualifying format. England must now navigate two-legged play-offs later in 2024 to reach the tournament, though manager Sarina Wiegman expressed confidence in their ability to qualify despite the setback.
England's 3-0 victory over Ukraine on Tuesday was not enough to secure automatic qualification for the 2025 Women's World Cup, as Spain's win against Iceland saw them finish atop the qualifying group. The unusual situation pitted the two 2023 World Cup finalists against each other for a single automatic spot, with only four such places available across Europe and seven play-off positions up for grabs. England won five of six group matches with 15 points but must now compete in two-legged play-offs later in the year to reach the tournament. Manager Sarina Wiegman acknowledged the frustration of not qualifying automatically despite a strong group performance, though she expressed confidence in overcoming lower-ranked play-off opponents. England's performance against Ukraine was comfortable but not exceptional, coming three days after a 4-0 defeat to Spain in Mallorca that Wiegman had described as the worst result of her tenure.
What different sources said
- The TelegraphRight
England have work to do after being forced to settle for World Cup play-offs
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