Euros final, World Cup final... qualifying: England and Spain resume rivalry and begin new cycle
Only one of England and Spain are guaranteed to qualify for the 2027 World Cup automatically as Wembley stages a rematch of the Euro 2025 final
It’s European champions against world champions. A rivalry that has been staged in two major finals will be renewed. It’s England v Spain at Wembley, in front of 70,000, but in World Cup qualifying.
It may appear a little odd that the two teams who competed in the World Cup final in August 2023 were drawn in the same qualifying group for the 2027 tournament in Brazil - even more so when their last clash came in the Euros final nine months ago . “We seem to play them all the time,” Sarina Wiegman had said. There is only one direct qualification spot from a four-team group that also includes Ukraine and Iceland, which means one of England or Spain will have to qualify through the play-offs.
But this qualifying format makes a lot more sense than the previous iteration, when the Lionesses thrashed Latvia 20-0 and scored 80 goals in just eight matches on their road to the 2023 World Cup. Uefa decided to bring in the Nations League system, a move that has suited teams at all levels, even if it has led to some complications for Wiegman’s side while they have thrived under pressure and became two-time European champions. For all of their success under Wiegman at major tournaments, the Lionesses are yet to top a Nations League-style group in four attempts, which largely explains how they have ended up playing Spain again in qualifying.
The inaugural Nations League saw England finish runner-up to Netherlands, resulting in the Lionesses, as second seeds, being drawn along with France and Sweden in a Euro 2025 qualifying ‘group of death’ . England played Spain twice in the next season of the Nations League, winning 1-0 at Wembley last February thanks to Jess Park’s only goal , followed by a 2-1 defeat in Barcelona. Even though the Lionesses would defeat Spain in the Euro 2025 final, they were runners-up to Spain in the Nations League, so went into 2027 World Cup qualifying in Pot 2 - as they were for the Euro 2025 draw despite being defending champions.