England dominated Greece in Crete to take control of their 2027 Women’s World Cup play-off tie.
After Lauren James had an earlier lobbed effort ruled out for offside, England eventually found the breakthrough as Georgia Stanway slotted home from a deft Alessia Russo tee-up, giving the Lionesses the lead in what was otherwise a pedestrian first-half display.
They then took full control after the restart as Maya Le Tissier and Alessia Russo fired home two in the space of four minutes, putting the match and perhaps the tie to bed.
However, Greece were given a semblance of hope 12 minutes from time when Kallisti Brouksair finished off a brilliant counter-attack, the hosts taking one of their rare opportunities to reduce the deficit.
The return leg will be played on Tuesday 13 October at the King Power Stadium in Leicester and should the Lionesses hold onto their lead, they will face either Slovakia or Ukraine in their second knockout clash. Ukraine are in the driving seat of that clash, similarly picking up a 3-1 away win.
Follow all the action from Greece v England with our live blog below:
Read MoreChloe Kelly and Ella Toone dropped from England squad for World Cup play-off against Greece
England learn route to Women’s World Cup after failing to qualify automatically
England heading for World Cup play-offs despite victory over Ukraine
Greece vs England live
- Lionesses cruise to first-leg win in Greece to take control of World Cup play-off tie
- 78' GOAL! Brouksair finishes off counter attack to give hosts hope [GRE 1-3 ENG]
- 67' GOAL! Russo puts game and perhaps tie to bed [GRE 0-3 ENG]
- 63' GOAL! Le Tissier rocket doubles England's lead [GRE 0-2 ENG]
- 39' GOAL! Stanway breaks deadlock in Crete [GRE 0-1 ENG]
- 20' NO GOAL! James has long-range lob ruled out for offside [GRE 0-0 ENG]
Next up for England
20:00 , Will CastleThe return leg will be played on Tuesday 13 October at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.
Should the Lionesses hold onto their lead, they will face either Slovakia or Ukraine in their second knockout clash. Ukraine are in the driving seat of that clash, similarly picking up a 3-1 away win.
See you then!
Le Tissier reacts to her first England goal
19:50 , Will Castle"You must have dreamt of that moment...?" 🤔
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 9, 2026
"I mean, not really to be honest [scoring for England] because I'm a defender, I thought I'd be stopping them!" 🤣
Maya Le Tissier after scoring her first goal for England 🏴 pic.twitter.com/hrvMByq4TN
Lionesses cruise to first-leg win in Greece to take control of World Cup play-off tie
19:40 , Will Castle
FULL-TIME! Greece 1-3 England
19:30 , Will CastleEngland dominated Greece in Crete to take control of their 2027 Women’s World Cup play-off tie.
After Lauren James had an earlier lobbed effort ruled out for offside, England eventually found the breakthrough as Georgia Stanway slotted home from a deft Alessia Russo tee-up, giving the Lionesses the lead in what was otherwise a pedestrian first-half display.
They then took full control after the restart as Maya Le Tissier and Alessia Russo fired home two in the space of four minutes, putting the match and perhaps the tie to bed.
However, Greece were given a semblance of hope 12 minutes from time when Kallisti Brouksair finished off a brilliant counter-attack, the hosts taking one of their rare opportunities to reduce the deficit.
FULL-TIME! Greece 1-3 England
19:24 , Will CastleSo nearly the perfect ending! Beth Mead misses an absolute sitter with the last kick of the game!
It could have been four but the whistle blows with England nevertheless in complete control of their play-off tie.
Greece 1-3 England
19:21 , Will Castle90+3 mins: Good low cross in from Parkinson but Greece manage to scramble it clear. Flag goes up after the ball is cleared.
England pressing strong until the last whistle.
Greece 1-3 England
19:20 , Will Castle90+1 mins: Four added minutes - could we see another goal?
Wiegman has brought on Grace Fisk for Esme Morgan at the back, fresh legs to ensure there are no more breaches at the England end.
Greece 1-3 England
19:19 , Will Castle90 mins: OFF THE BAR! Park charges down on goal and fires a rocket off the underside of the crossbar!
No goal-line technology to determine whether it crossed the line - it looked like it might have - but she was well offside either way.
Greece 1-3 England
19:17 , Will Castle89 mins: Parkinson straight into things with the high press, nicking the ball and leaving a Greece player on the deck needing treatment.
Greece have used all five subs so will be playing the next minute or so with 10.
Greece 1-3 England
19:15 , Will Castle87 mins: Diving header from Beth Mead loops over the bar. That would have been some goal.
Here are those Greece changes. Papatheodorou, who hit the bar from range in the first half, makes way for Pouliou, while Sarri is replaced by Tzourtzevits.
Greece 1-3 England
19:14 , Will Castle85 mins: Another England change and it’s a senior debut for Erica Meg Parkinson, who comes on to replace Lauren James. Big moment for the teenager.
Greece are also planning some more changes after making the switch of Drakogiannaki for Kongouli in midfield.
Greece 1-3 England
19:08 , Will Castle79 mins: CLOSE! Nearly the instant response from England as Lauren James curls just wide of the post.
GOAL! Greece 1-3 England (Brouksair, 78')
19:06 , Will CastleSome hope for Greece?
England get caught on the counter and the hosts take advantage, working it to Kallisti Brouksair who brilliantly fires past Hannah Hampton.
Greece 0-3 England
19:01 , Will Castle73 mins: Alessia Russo’s night is up as she is replaced by Jess Park. She’ll be happier going off now that she’s scored.
Also a couple Greece changes to note after that Russo goal went in. Brame and Moraitou are off for Saich and Chalatsogianni.
Greece 0-3 England
18:59 , Will Castle70 mins: Eesh, nearly a howler from Petaloti as she commits to collecting on the byline, only for Beth Mead to hook it back over her as another England shirt bears down on goal. Fortunately, the Greek stopper recovers.
GOAL! Greece 0-3 England (Russo, 67')
18:55 , Will CastleEngland have another! Alessia Russo slots home to put the game, and probably the tie, to bed.
Nice work by Beth Mead to set her up and once she got it out of her feet, you knew she was going to finish.
Greece 0-2 England
18:54 , Will Castle66 mins: Greece now look to be tiring and with a bit of breathing space, England are trying to go for the kill.
The chances are flowing now - Greece are fortunate Stanway just blazed well wide after being caught out from the back.
GOAL! Greece 0-2 England (Le Tissier, 63')
18:51 , Will CastleSome finish from the angle by Maya Le Tissier, and England have their second!
It’s a rocket into the top corner that Petaloti was never going to keep out - she came close from that position just a moment ago, and now she has her goal.
Greece 0-1 England
18:49 , Will Castle61 mins: Nearly a nightmare at the back for Greece as goalkeeper Petaloti is almost robbed of the ball by Russo on her byline, but it just rolls out of play. Let off.
Greece 0-1 England
18:46 , Will Castle58 mins: SAVE! Another chance for England as Le Tissier is played into the right side of the box, but her shot is saved by Petaloti.
Greece 0-1 England
18:45 , Will Castle56 mins: CHANCE! England look set to double their as Lauren Hemp is played into the box with other Lionesses in support, but she gets caught in two minds and ends up miss-kicking her pass (or shot).
The flag then goes up to somewhat spare her embarrassment.
Greece 0-1 England
18:40 , Will Castle53 mins: Little spell for Greece in the England half and after a bit of stop-start play, they’ve got a free-kick opportunity from the right...
It’s a decent ball but the header that meets it is straight at Hampton to catch. The flag goes up anyway.
Greece 0-1 England
18:37 , Will Castle48 mins: Alessia Russo thinks she’s been fouled on the edge of the Greece box but the referee instead gives a goal kick.
Russo then wins the ball back from the short goal kick and tries to pass it across to an England shirt, snuffed out.
BACK UNDERWAY! Greece 0-1 England
18:33 , Will CastleBack underway.
Beth Mead is on for Laura Blindkilde Brown - an attacking switch for the Lionesses. No changes for Greece.
Teams are back out
18:32 , Will CastleJust about to get going again in Crete... and it looks like England are making a change.
WATCH: Georgia Stanway breaks deadlock in Greece
18:22 , Will CastleWho else but Georgia Stanway?! 👏
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 9, 2026
A slick move and finish sees England ahead in Crete 🏴@Lionesses | @ITV pic.twitter.com/cdfFKODxSp
HALF-TIME! Greece 0-1 England
18:22 , Will Castle
HALF-TIME! Greece 0-1 England
18:18 , Will CastleThe whistle blows and England lead after a dominant but pedestrian first half.
They have the advantage through Georgia Stanway but thought they took the lead earlier after Lauren James lobbed the Greece keeper from range, only to be ruled offside by VAR.
But Greece have proved they can threaten, hitting the bar from range in their one real attack of the game so far.
Still work to do for Sarina Wiegman’s side - if they go back to Leicester with this scoreline, they won’t be considered home and dry.
Greece 0-1 England
18:16 , Will Castle45+1 mins: Two minutes added on in first-half stoppages.
Greece 0-1 England
18:13 , Will Castle42 mins: A good response from England to that close call from Greece. They’ve got a goal and want another, with Lauren James coming close.
GOAL! Greece 0-1 England (Stanway, 39')
18:09 , Will CastleThere we go!
England settle any nerves with an opener in Crete, Georgia Stanway slotting home after being deftly put through by Alessia Russo.
Much better from the Lionesses.
Greece 0-0 England
18:09 , Will Castle36 mins: England might have had 82 percent possession so far, but with the score goalless, that was proof of how quickly things could go downhill for the Lionesses.
Greece 0-0 England
18:05 , Will Castle34 mins: OFF THE BAR! Nearly an absolute stunner from Greece’s Papatheodorou!
She drives forward with a mazy run before letting fly from range, smashing the woodwork with Hampton beaten.
That’s got the home fans’ spirits up. A warning for England.
Greece 0-0 England
18:01 , Will Castle30 mins: CLOSE! Lauren Hemp with probably England’s most clear-cut chance of the game.
Hemp runs onto the ball as it’s swept across the box and as she shoots across goal, you expect it to nestle in that bottom left corner. Alas, it goes just wide.
Greece 0-0 England
17:59 , Will Castle28 mins: Lauren James stands over the free-kick... England disguise it as a delivery in the set-up, but James shoots from range.
Wide of the post, comfortable for Petaloti.
Greece 0-0 England
17:57 , Will Castle26 mins: England still very much on top but Greece holding firm as another decent ball comes in from the right.
It does feel like only a matter of time until the Lionesses find the breakthrough.
NO GOAL! Greece 0-0 England
17:50 , Will CastleYes she did. Think she knew it as well. No goal.
GOAL! Greece 0-1 England (James, 20')
17:50 , Will CastleIt’s been coming!
Lauren James with the composure to catch the keeper off her line and lob her from 30 yards.
But... has she come from an offside position?
Greece 0-0 England
17:47 , Will Castle17 mins: England turning up the heat as Petaloti is called into two saves in a matter of a minute. The second from Walsh looked like it would have too much power to stop but the Greek shows off her reflexes to keep the game goalless.
Greece 0-0 England
17:44 , Will Castle13 mins: Audible shouts from the Greece bench telling the hosts to press England as they try and play out from the back.
Lionesses look comfortable.
Greece 0-0 England
17:41 , Will Castle10 mins: Bit of Greek panic as England whip in their first corner of the night. It drops into the box and there’s a scramble as a Lioness tries to get a shot on goal, but as England try to pull it back to space on the edge of the box, the pass isn’t to feet.
Greece 0-0 England
17:38 , Will Castle8 mins: CLOSE! First effort from England and it flashes wide of the post.
Stanway draws defenders in on the edge of the box before skipping past and shooting across goal, but her effort is dragged wide.
Greece 0-0 England
17:37 , Will Castle7 mins: Lauren James has seen a lot of the ball so far. She puts in a decent ball from the right but it’s collected by Greece keeper Petaloti.
Greece 0-0 England
17:36 , Will Castle5 mins: After a tepid start, England get their first opening as Blinkilde Brown is played to the byline and pulls it back to Russo on the edge of the six-yard box.
However, the just ball runs out of play before she plays the pass.
KICK-OFF! Greece 0-0 England
17:31 , Will CastleWe are underway in Crete.
Moment of silence for George Baldock
17:30 , Will CastleThere’s a minute’s for former Sheffield United right-back George Baldock, who was a Greek international, who died two years ago to the day.
The Buckingham-born defender played his final matches for Panathinaikos before his tragic passing.
Wiegman's final thoughts
17:27 , Will Castle"There's a lot of stake,” she told ITV. “We know what we have to do. We're here to win of course but we want to play really well too and show who we are."
On Lucia Kendall’s withdrawal, she also said: "That was really disappointing for her because we thought she'd make it, but also for the team. She is a great talent too and she's done really well.”
Closing in on kick-off
17:25 , Will CastleJust a few minutes until we get underway in Crete. Can England take control of their play-off tie before the return leg back home?
All the action, up next.
Getting warm
17:18 , Will Castle
Wiegman says squad have had 'a little chat' about Man City verdict
17:06 , Will CastleEngland’s play-off tie of course takes place against the backdrop of intense attention on Manchester City’s guilty verdict over Premier League financial breaches.
City are currently top of the WSL and while any sporting sanction will not impact the women’s side, the shockwaves of the verdict are sure to be felt throughout the entire club
“When the players come in, of course you know they can’t just park things, so we have a little chat,” said Sarina Wiegman.
“They want to be here. They’re professionals and they really want to perform, so their focus now is really on England.”
Teenager denies sending racist message to Lionesses star Jess Carter during Euro 2025
16:54 , Will CastleA teenager has pleaded not guilty to targeting England footballer Jess Carter with a message containing a racial slur during last year’s Women’s European Championship in Switzerland.
Aaryan Aggarwal, 19, stood before Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with sending a message over a public network that was offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing.
Prosecutor Grace Court told the hearing that Carter received the communication on 17 July last year, when England defeated Sweden in their quarter-final match.
Teenager denies sending racist message to Lionesses star Carter during Euro 2025
London City Lionesses have disrupted women’s football – but one question remains
16:42 , Will CastleWith the likes of two-time Alexis Putellas, former Lionesses number one Mary Earps and four-time Champions League winner Mapi Leon now in their ranks, London City Lionesses have made a splash going into what is just their second ever WSL season. They sit third in the league, behind only serial winners Chelsea and reigning champions Manchester City/
Jamie Braidwood looks at how the club has disrupted the hierarchy in the English game, with it all part of owner Michele Kang’s long-term play.
London City Lionesses have disrupted women’s football – but one question remains
What Wiegman said
16:30 , Will CastleSarina Wiegman spoke to the media yesterday ahead of tonight’s clash in Crete.
Asked on qualification, she said: “Of course that’s the main goal and then we bring it back to what do we have to do tomorrow.
“We’re fully focused on how do we want to play, what do we expect from Greece – we’ve never played them before, they’ve done well in their campaign, too. We absolutely want to dominate that game tomorrow, and win it of course.”
She also explained her decision to call-up Ella Toone, a midfielder, for injured defender Lucy Bronze.
Wiegman added: “I think we have enough defenders for how we want to play tomorrow, we have enough options in the position where Lucy would play. If we look at the balance of the team, then this was the best decision.”
Grace Clinton called up to England squad
16:27 , Harry Latham-CoyleSome more news from England camp head of kick off: Grace Clinton has been called up to replace the injured Lucia Kendall. A shame for Kendall, the Aston Villa midfielder.
Greece team news
16:25 , Harry Latham-CoyleGreece XI: Petaloti; Giannaka, Gkouni, Markou, paterna; Drakogiannaki, Brame, Moraitou; Sarri, Papatheodorou, Brouksair.
England team news
16:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleAs anticipated, Maya Le Tissier deputises for the absent Lucy Bronze at right-back for Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses.
England XI: Hampton; Le Tissier, Williamson, Morgan, Greenwood; Walsh, Stanway, Blindkilde Brown; James, Russo, Hemp.
Our #Lionesses in Crete 🦁 🙌 pic.twitter.com/qv4VnAgKiM
Team news coming up
16:10 , Will CastleJust a few minutes until team news drops... stay tuned!
Toone time?
16:00 , Will CastleTwo household names of this Lionesses era, Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly were nowhere to be seen in Sarina Wiegman’s squad announcement last week. The England manager omitting both for the crucial play-off, stating she “expected more” from the pair.
Toone has only completed 90 minutes for Manchester United once this campaign under new boss Eva Olid, while Kelly - famed for her big moments for the Lionesses, most recently at Euro 2025 - is out of favour at struggling Arsenal and hasn’t started a match this season.
Kelly is still watching on from the sofa tonight but Toone has been offered a shot at redemption. She was given a last call-up yesterday following injury to Lucy Bronze.
Wiegman praised Toone for her reaction, telling a press conference: “When I gave her the call, of course that was a hard call, but she took that straight away.
“Of course (she was) very disappointed but the first thing she did was, ‘OK I’m going to get back, how am I going to do that?’
“That answer in the game, also the way she spoke about it, I thought that was really good. And then getting everything ready to go to Spain but go for training there, that really impressed me.
“She was in Spain and she was training really hard, and of course enjoying herself a bit too. But she has had a lot of load under her belt this week so she’s in a good place.”
It’s unlikely she’ll be starting tonight, but can Toone make an impression off the bench and regain her status as an England regular?
Who will the winner face in the play-off final?
15:45 , Will CastleGreece are only the first hurdle England have to clear in their bid to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
If they win their two across the next two matches, they will face either Slovakia or Ukraine in the second round.
England faced Ukraine twice in their qualifying group, beating them by an aggregate score of 9-1 across two matches. They have never faced Slovakia at senior level.
The tale of qualifying
15:30 , Will CastleThe Lionesses won five of their six qualifying matches in the group stage but lost out on an automatic spot at the tournament due to Spain finishing top of Group C with a superior goal difference.
The decisive result came in Mallorca, with defending world champions Spain exacting a semblance of revenge for Euro 2025 on the fifth matchday when they thrashed England 4-0 in Mallorca, with new London City Lionesses superstar Alexis Putellas’ double inspiring victory.
Greece, meanwhile, finished top of Group L with four wins from four against Georgia and the Faroe Islands and are prepared for their first competitive meeting with England’s Lionesses.
Being ranked 59th in the world, 55 places lower than England makes them heavy underdogs but they will be hoping home advantage helps to secure a positive outcome this evening.
England team news
15:15 , Will CastleSarina Wiegman has called up midfielder Lexi Potter for the first time at senior level and the Chelsea star could make her debut in Greece.
But in a surprise move, Wiegman initially left out big name players Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly saying that although she “believes in them” she “knows they can bring more” than what they have shown at the start of this domestic season. That was until Lucy Bronze picked up an injury and returned to Chelsea, with Toone being called up late to replace her.
Captain Leah Williamson is also back in the squad having missed June’s camp through injury and should start for the Lionesses.
Predicted England XI: Hampton; Charles, Williamson, Greenwood, Carter; Walsh, Park, Stanway; James, Russo, Hemp.
Is Greece vs England on TV?
15:10 , Will CastleThe World Cup qualifying play-off first leg is due to kick off at 5.30pm BST this evening at Pankritio Stadium in Crete, Greece.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live for free on ITV1, with coverage from 7pm BST. A live stream will be available via ITVX.
Greece vs England LIVE!
15:05 , Will CastleEngland take on Greece in the first leg of their qualifying play-off for the 2027 Women’s World Cup this evening.
Sarina Wiegman will be hoping her side can swiftly take control of the tie following a near-perfect qualifying campaign. The Lionesses finished second in Group C but were level on points with eventual winners Spain who topped the group due to a superior goal difference.
As a result, England were sent into the perilous play-off rounds and face a Greece side that finished top of Group L with four wins from four against Georgia and the Faroe Islands. Tonight’s match will be the first-ever senior meeting between the nations in women’s competition.
The Lionesses, ranked fourth in the world compared to Greece in 59th, are strong favourites to progress to the finals and will seek to gain a firm grip on the tie ahead of next Tuesday’s return leg at the King Power Stadium.
Good afternoon!
14:59 , Will CastleHello there and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of England’s crucial Women’s World Cup play-off first leg against Greece!
We’ll bring you all the build-up, team news and match action from Crete, right here.
