After finishing second to Spain in their initial qualifying group, England are navigating the play-offs to secure their place at next summer’s World Cup.
The Lionesses overcame Greece 8-1 on aggregate to advance to the final round, where they face Ukraine over two legs.
When are the remaining qualifiers, and what do England need to do to reach Brazil?
England’s road to Brazil
While Sarina Wiegman’s side would have loved to avoid the added hurdle of the play-offs, they know exactly what is at stake as they bid to secure their place at next summer’s tournament.
Finishing second to world champions Spain in their initial qualifying group meant England had to navigate two rounds of play-offs to reach Brazil.
First up, they faced Greece. After securing a 3-1 victory in Crete, the Lionesses returned home to Leicester and produced a clinical 5-0 display to seal an emphatic 8-1 aggregate win.
That result booked their place in the final qualifying round, where they will face Ukraine, who progressed after beating Slovakia 4-1 on aggregate.
Key dates
The Lionesses will face Ukraine in Round 2 of the World Cup qualifying play-offs, with the two-legged tie taking place between 26 November and 5 December.
The first leg is planned on 26 November at a venue to be confirmed, with Ukraine unable to host matches at home amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia.
England will then face Ukraine at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 5 December (5.30pm GMT).
The two sides are already familiar with one another, having met twice during the league phase of qualification. England won 6-1 away from home in a match played in Turkiye, before a 3-0 victory at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
With England reaching the 2023 final, ultimately losing to Spain, they know what is riding on these final two matches to ensure they reach Brazil.
