You would have to go back nearly 25 years to the last time the lionesses failed to top their World Cup qualifying group. But with the introduction of the Nations League, playing off against teams of a high standard, and UEFA placing the European and world champions in the same group, it is not surprising.

The European automatic qualification slots have been filled on the road to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil next year on the final matchday. Denmark, France and reigning champions Spain joined Germany.

In a shocking turn of events, England have missed out on automatic qualification for the World Cup and will now take the longer play-off route to Brazil next year.

England came into the game against Spain with the possibility of qualifying for next year's tournament, but came out of it unlikely to qualify automatically. They suffered a devastating 4-0 defeat in Mallorca, the biggest defeat under Sarina Wiegman as manager.

The US claimed their eighth SheBelieves Cup title, having whipped out their competition three from three. They lifted the trophy after a 1-0 victory over Colombia. Colombia disrupted the US rhythm early with aggressive physical play, as the hosts struggled to establish control. Alyssa Thompson, a bright young talent for both Chelsea and country, cut inside and fired an unstoppable strike into the top corner, sealing the win. They beat Argentina in their previous game, while Canada finished second after edging Argentina on penalties following a goalless draw.

The US claimed their eighth SheBelieves Cup title, having whipped out their competition three from three. They lifted the trophy after a 1-0 victory over Colombia. Colombia disrupted the US rhythm early with aggressive physical play, as the hosts struggled to establish control. Alyssa Thompson, a bright young talent for both Chelsea and country, cut inside and fired an unstoppable strike into the top corner, sealing the win. They beat Argentina in their previous game, while Canada finished second after edging Argentina on penalties following a goalless draw.

The Spanish women's national team is supposed to face Ukraine in the World Cup qualifiers away from home. Ukraine cannot host home fixtures in their own country due to the Russian invasion and current war. The home games will be played in Antalya, Turkey, in a neutral ground.

The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held in Brazil, which qualifies automatically as host. The tournament will feature 32 teams. Qualification takes place through each of the six continental confederations — UEFA (Europe), AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North & Central America & Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), and OFC (Oceania) — followed by a 10-team inter-confederation play-off to decide the final three tournament places.

Sarina Wiegman has named her 25-player squad for the opening two games in their qualifying group for the FIFA World Cup 2027. She chose a larger squad so they could bring a range of players at different fitness levels.

UEFA has drawn out the groups for the European qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. 

England's first outing of the year, as they start their 2027 World Cup qualification process, began with a bang, a 6-1 victory over Ukraine. They currently sit top of their group, which also includes Spain and Iceland, only on goal difference, with the fixtures between these two nations likely deciding who gets the one automatic qualification spot available.