The 2027 Women's World Cup is 473 days away. That may seem like a long time, but England head coach Sarina Wiegman will only see her players seven more times in camp before the tournament in Brazil starts on June 24 next year.
The World Cup is the one title that has eluded the Dutchwoman during her time in charge of the Netherlands and now England, with those nations suffering defeat under her in the 2019 and 2023 finals. The reigning and back-to-back European champions have their eyes set on lifting the coveted trophy next time and kicked off their World Cup qualification campaign this week with promising performances in 6-1 and 2-0 wins over Ukraine and Iceland.
Defending champions Spain, who England face next in April, are also in their group, and only the team finishing top qualifies automatically. Spain have begun by defeating Iceland 3-0 and Ukraine 3-1.
"Plans have started," said defender Lucy Bronze after the win against Iceland at Nottingham's City Ground on Saturday. "As soon as the Euros finished, it's always eyes on the next competition. We know we are one of the best teams in the world on our day."
As is customary, Wiegman largely stuck with a familiar England line-up. She's a manager who tinkers as she goes, using players in different ways or adding new faces.
The spine of the team for both games looks very familiar.
Leah Williamson , returning from injury for the first time since the Euro 2025 final, was at centre-back for both matches, with Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway in midfield and Alessia Russo up front. On Saturday, there were only three players from the side that started the Euro 2025 final in July not in Wiegman's line-up against Iceland: Jess Carter (who was on the bench), Ella Toone and Alex Greenwood (both currently injured). Esme Morgan , Jess Park and Taylor Hinds started instead.
England dominated possession in both games, registering 31 shots in each, but lacked ruthlessness in front of goal. Against Ukraine, 18 attempts were off target and that number rose to 24 yesterday. Most of the threat to Iceland came from wingers Lauren James on the left and Lauren Hemp on the right, who cut inside delivering teasing crosses. James' first international appearance since that Euros final added unpredictability and quality.
England's second-half performance against Ukraine showed them at their best, free-flowing and converting their chances.
The trio of Park, Russo and Stanway, who scored a brace each across the two games, excelled in particular. Russo, the scorer of England's first goal of the qualification campaign, showed her composure, staying patient as chances came and went.
Stanway, a mainstay of Wiegman's team who can be counted on to take a game by the scruff of the neck, put distance between the opposition and England in both matches when they needed it most, first continuing her 100 per cent penalty record against Ukraine to make it 3-1 before adding a belter of a fourth, and then finishing clinically to double the hosts' lead over Iceland.
As at Euro 2025, but a change from the previous major tournaments, the 27-year-old continued to play on the left of a midfield triangle, moving out wide when the left-winger came inside while Laura Blindkilde Brown and Park occupied the No 10 role against Ukraine and Iceland respectively.
Bayern Munich midfielder Stanway, whose contract with the German side expires at the end of the season and has been heavily linked with Arsenal, joked her sterling form is a "fluke" but after a long injury lay-off last year, her hard work is paying dividends. England still lack depth in Walsh's role and Wiegman's backup option is to drop Stanway deeper and then bring on Lucia Kendall to replace her.
Grace Clinton has previously been used alongside Stanway in midfield, as a No 8 or an attacking midfielder, but did not make the 23-strong squad against Ukraine and was then an unused substitute at the City Ground. In her pre-Iceland press conference on Friday, Wiegman said Clinton can control "taking responsibility for her own development and that is what she is doing".
Meanwhile Park, who joined Manchester United last summer from neighbours City, took her brilliant domestic form onto the international stage. She played with swagger against Ukraine, as demonstrated by her second goal, where she netted a lofted shot from distance. The 24-year-old only played 46 minutes at the Euros in Switzerland but has started both World Cup qualifiers.
Park swapped sides with Hemp at half-time against Ukraine, which proved a tactically astute decision in unlocking their defence. Although quieter against Iceland, Park seems to find more joy cutting inside off the wing as she does for United, and her performance in the Ukraine game proved to Wiegman what she can offer in an England shirt.
In both matches, Hinds filled in for the absent Greenwood, who was used at left-back in Euro 2025, although she has also played, as she does at club level, as a left centre-back for England. Hinds' performances were solid in a position where England lack naturally left-footed options — Poppy Pattinson made her senior debut to replace her at half-time on Tuesday — but England's next game against Spain at Wembley on April 14 will be a different proposition.
Maya Le Tissier started at right-back versus Ukraine but yesterday she played understudy to Lucy Bronze, who said she was "probably not at her best" fitness-wise as she continues to manage her recovery from that fractured left tibia suffered at the Euros . Though she will have turned 35 by the time the World Cup comes round (assuming England qualify), Wiegman still sees Bronze, who opened the scoring against Iceland, as a vital cog in the machine, referencing her connection with players and staff alike.
"I hope she keeps moving forward and stays fit to be able to deliver," said Wiegman after the Iceland victory.
Wiegman said she was "happy" rather than frustrated with England's performances, particularly against opponents who can be difficult to break down.
Wiegman hoped to end Euro 2025 on a high with long-time assistant Arjan Veurink and general manager Anja van Ginhoven before both departed for new roles. They duly delivered but now for the first time in her career Wiegman, whose contract expires after the World Cup, is beginning a tournament campaign — for perhaps what will be one last dance — without that duo by her side. Now she has her former Netherlands assistants Janneke Bijl and Arvid Smit aiding her.
There is still a long way to go on England's World Cup journey. As previous tournaments have shown, the picture can change very quickly depending on player injuries and form.
Spain, as said, will pose a different challenge next month and in June's reverse fixture, and England will want to avoid the play-off route to qualification but they have successfully taken their first steps along the road to Brazil 2027.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic .
England, Women's Soccer, FIFA Women's World Cup
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