England Defeats Spain, Netherlands Shocks France in Women's European Qualifiers
The road to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup tightened and crackled across the continent, and the heavyweights did exactly what heavyweights are supposed to do. Some with control. Some with chaos. All with something at stake.
At the end of the third round of Women's European Qualifiers, England and Germany stand flawless in League A, while Netherlands and Denmark ripped up the script in their groups and changed the shape of the race to Brazil.
Hemp strikes, England outmuscle Spain at Wembley
A record European Women's World Cup qualifying crowd of 62,306 turned Wembley into a statement venue again, and England responded with the kind of performance that has defined their recent era: fast start, stubborn resistance, and just enough edge.
They needed only three minutes.
Spain failed to clear an Alex Greenwood corner, the ball dropped loose in the area, and Lauren Hemp pounced. Hooked finish, Alexia Putellas unable to hack it away on the line. One chance, one goal, and the European champions were three points clear at the top of Group A3.
England could have doubled that advantage early. Lucy Bronze, full of invention on the right, back-heeled a return pass into Hemp’s stride, and the forward clipped her shot against the post. Spain, rattled but never resigned, grew into the game after the break.
Olga Carmona thumped the underside of the bar in a gripping second half. Vicky López then bent a shot that shaved the post. Every Spanish attack felt like a warning.
But Hannah Hampton refused to blink. Late on, substitute Edna Imade forced the England goalkeeper into a full-stretch save, Hampton flinging herself low to preserve the lead. When the whistle finally went, Wembley roared for a crucial 1-0 win and for Keira Walsh, who quietly reached the landmark of 100 caps on a night that belonged to grit as much as glamour.
In the group’s other game, Iceland finally got moving. Against Ukraine, they edged a tight contest 1-0, Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir heading in early in the second half after Glodis Viggósdóttir had flicked on a long throw from Sveindís Jónsdóttir. Iceland and Ukraine had both been beaten by England and Spain last month; this time, the fine margins fell Iceland’s way.
Dutch break decade-long wait, Ireland hit back in Group A2
In Group A2, a long-running story flipped in 90 tense minutes.
Netherlands had not beaten France for more than ten years. That changed in Utrecht, where a 19-year-old debutant set the tone and an incisive counterattack finished the job in a 2-1 victory that took the Dutch a point clear at the top.
Renee van Asten needed only 11 minutes of her senior international career to leave a mark, reacting quickest after a Lynn Wilms free-kick to fire the hosts in front. France, previously perfect in the group, responded after the interval. A Sandy Baltimore cross caused chaos and Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar turned the ball into her own net.
Momentum seemed to be with the visitors. Then the Dutch broke.
Wieke Kaptein launched a rapid counter, France caught high. Esmee Brugts arrived to deliver what proved to be the winner, a finish that carried as much nerve as it did technique. France pushed, Netherlands held. A decade of frustration parked in one night.
Further east, Republic of Ireland found their own release in a wild 3-2 win away to Poland that dragged them off the bottom and up to third.
They struck first on 12 minutes. Denise O'Sullivan slid the ball into Marissa Sheva, who cut inside and beat Kinga Szemik. Eight minutes later, Katie McCabe produced the kind of goal that follows a player’s reputation: a thunderous volley from outside the box after a corner was only half-cleared.
Poland refused to fold. Just before half-time, Tanja Pawollek headed in a Paulina Tomasiak cross from a short corner routine to drag the hosts back into the game.
Ireland’s response was ruthless. Ahead of the hour, Sheva again found the top corner after a pass from Murphy to make it 3-1. Ewa Pajor chipped in to reduce the deficit with 12 minutes left, and the drama was not done. McCabe, usually so reliable from the spot, sent a late penalty over the bar. It didn’t matter. Ireland walked away with their first points and a foothold in the group.
Denmark break Swedish hearts, Italy run riot in Group A1
In Gothenburg, it felt like Sweden’s night. It ended as Denmark’s.
With Kosovare Asllani sidelined, Sweden fielded a reshaped XI, including debutant Sofia Reidy. The new-look side started sharply. In the eighth minute, Monica Jusu Bah combined neatly with Häcken team-mate Felicia Schröder, who had already struck the post, before finishing to give the hosts the lead.
Stina Blackstenius then headed against the woodwork. Sweden were on top. Denmark were hanging on.
Then Pernille Harder intervened. On the half-hour, Cecilie Fløe found her, and Harder levelled with the kind of assured finish that has underpinned her international career. The Danes had a foothold. They paid for it, too: Harder was forced off injured in the second half.
Her replacement rewrote the script.
Deep into added time, with the game drifting towards a draw, Fløe threaded a through ball and Janni Thomsen surged clear. One touch to steady herself, one cool finish. Denmark snatched a 2-1 comeback win and moved three points clear of their neighbours at the top of Group A1.
Italy, meanwhile, tore through Serbia 6-0 to join Sweden on points and open a three-point cushion over the hosts in the race behind Denmark.
Cristiana Girelli started the onslaught, heading in a Manuela Giugliano free-kick on 20 minutes. Elisabetta Oliviero doubled the lead with a precise shot inside the far post after a neat exchange of passes. Just before the break, Martina Lenzini claimed her first international goal, turning in from a Giugliano corner.
Italy did not ease off. Arianna Caruso drove in from distance shortly after the hour to stretch the advantage. Late on, substitute Sofia Cantore curled in a fine effort inside the post, and Giada Greggi completed the scoring. Serbia, now three points adrift of third, were left chasing shadows.
Germany ruthless again, Norway respond in Group A4
Some teams grow into a campaign. Germany have simply crushed theirs.
After sweeping aside Slovenia and Norway last month, the two-time world champions produced another emphatic display, dismantling Austria 5-1 to stay three points clear at the top of Group A4 and hand their neighbours a third straight defeat.
Relentless pressure told in the 17th minute when Nicole Anyomi scrambled in the opener. Germany then turned the screw after the break. Vivien Endemann met a deep Jule Brand cross to make it 2-0, and Brand continued to dictate the contest from wide areas.
On 68 minutes, Sjoeke Nüsken darted to the near post to head in a Brand corner. Brand then added her own name to the scoresheet, her shot taking a deflection after a slick passing move to underline Germany’s control.
Austria did finally break through on the counter, Chiara D'Angelo pulling one back – the first goal Germany have conceded in the group. Any hope of a late rally was brief. Lea Schüller, on for Anyomi, smashed in off the inside of the post to restore the four-goal margin and close out another statement win.
Norway, stung by that 4-0 home defeat to Germany last month, answered with a 5-0 demolition of Slovenia that kept them within three points of the leaders and pushed their visitors three behind second place.
Ada Hegerberg, on her 99th cap, waited until first-half added time to ignite the night, turning in Caroline Graham Hansen’s incisive pass for her 53rd international goal. Once the dam broke, Norway surged.
Julie Blakstad hammered in the second on 69 minutes after being set up by her Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Signe Gaupset. Graham Hansen then rifled into the roof of the net for the third, Synne Jensen teed up fellow substitute Karina Sævik for the fourth, and Hegerberg added another to round off a ruthless response.
League B: Switzerland and Portugal perfect, Scotland rescue a point
Drop down a tier and the stakes feel no lighter.
In League B, Switzerland stayed perfect in Group B2 with a 3-1 win over Türki̇ye that pushed them three points clear at the summit. Northern Ireland, also in B2, beat Malta 4-0 to keep their own promotion hopes alive.
Portugal matched Switzerland’s perfect record, making it three wins from three in Group B3 with a controlled 3-0 victory in Latvia. Finland kept pace in that section with a 4-2 success against Slovakia.
Group B4 served up late drama in Scotland. The hosts trailed Belgium deep into added time before Kathleen McGovern struck to snatch a 1-1 draw. The goal kept Scotland ahead of the Red Flames on goal difference in a tight group, after Israel had earlier thrashed Luxembourg 6-0.
In Group B1, Czechia and Wales are locked together on points, goal difference and goals scored after emphatic wins. Czechia dismantled Montenegro 5-0, while Wales brushed aside Albania 4-0 to mirror their rivals’ numbers almost to the digit.
League C: Kosovo, Greece, Belarus and Lithuania take control
League C may sit further from the spotlight, but its storylines are no less sharp.
Kosovo maintained their perfect start in Group C2, winning 3-1 in Bulgaria to make it three wins from three. Croatia edged Gibraltar 1-0 in the same group to keep the pressure on.
Greece did the same in Group C4, a 3-2 victory in the Faroe Islands stretching their lead to nine points and putting them firmly in charge of the section.
Belarus, in Group C6, kept their own perfect record with a second straight win, while Group C1 swung decisively. Lithuania beat previously flawless Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to go top, as Estonia edged Liechtenstein 2-1.
Group C3 saw Hungary underline their authority with a 5-0 win away to North Macedonia, while Azerbaijan’s 3-1 victory in Andorra kept them in the chase. Moldova and Cyprus, in Group C5, cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw.
The road ahead
The arithmetic is clear, the tension less so. The four League A group winners will book direct tickets to Brazil. Behind them, 32 nations – 12 each from Leagues A and B, plus eight from League C – will tumble into end-of-year play-offs, chasing seven more World Cup places and one final shot via the inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027.
Promotion and relegation threads through it all, shaping the next UEFA Women's Nations League as much as this World Cup journey.
The qualifiers resume on Saturday, with the last two rounds in June set to decide who travels with authority and who arrives in Brazil via the long, nerve-shredding route. With England and Germany perfect, Netherlands resurgent, and Denmark daring, how many more giants will be forced to sweat for their ticket?
