England take control of World Cup play-off with win in Greece

England are in control of their World Cup play-off with Greece after winning the first leg 3-1 in Crete.

By Peter Smith · Sky Sports

Published: Friday, 9 October 2026 at 6:30 PM

Key Things to Know

England Women earned a 3-1 victory against Greece in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying play-off.
Georgia Stanway, Maya Le Tissier, and Alessia Russo scored the goals for England.
Calliste Brookshire pulled one back for Greece late in the second half.

The Story in 60 Seconds

England Women defeated Greece 3-1 at the Pankritio Stadium in Crete during the first leg of their Women's World Cup qualifying play-off. Georgia Stanway opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Maya Le Tissier and Alessia Russo added second-half strikes to put the Lionesses in control. Calliste Brookshire scored a late consolation goal for Greece in the 77th minute.

Manager Sarina Wiegman noted that England stayed calm against aggressive opponents but emphasized that her team still has areas to improve ahead of Tuesday's second leg in Leicester. The winner of the tie will advance to face either Slovakia or Ukraine for a spot at the Brazil 2027 tournament.

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England take control of World Cup play-off with win in Greece

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