Photo via BBC Sport

How can home nations reach Women's World Cup?

Sarina Wiegman's squad must navigate a two-stage qualification path to reach the global tournament in Brazil, starting with an away fixture in Crete against Greece on Friday, 9 October at 17:30 BST, followed by the return leg at King Power Stadium in Leicester on Tuesday, 13 October at 19:30 BST. Both matches will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Wiegman explained that omitting Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly from the initial selection came down to recent performances falling short of expectations, though she expressed continued confidence in both players. Should the European champions progress past Greece, they will confront the victors of the matchup between Slovakia and Ukraine in the subsequent round, with the away leg scheduled first between late November and early December 2026.

Elsewhere in the play-offs, Northern Ireland face Portugal, Scotland eye a path that could involve Sweden, Wales prepare to meet Albania, and Carla Ward's Republic of Ireland side travel to Kazakhstan before a potential clash with Belgium.

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