England v Greece
FIFA Women's World Cup 2027
European Qualifier Play-Off Second Leg
7.30pm BST, Tuesday 13 October 2026
King Power Stadium, Leicester City

Greece in profile

Nickname: Galanolefki
Coach: Vasillis Spertos
Captain: Eleni Markou
Previous encounter: Greece 1-3 England, 9 October 2026

● This will be the second ever meeting between Greece and England, following the first leg on Friday 9 October, which ended in a 3-1 win for the Lionesses.

● England’s only previous meeting with Greece came in the first leg of this play-off tie last week – the Lionesses completed 207 passes ending in the final third in their 3-1 victory, compared to Greece’s nine.

● Greece have won their last two away matches, both 3-2 with both seeing the score sitting at 1-1 inside 10 minutes. They have, however, conceded in eleven consecutive away games since a 2-0 win vs the Faroe Islands in June 2024.

England women squad news

Ticket Information for England v Greece women

How to watch or stream England v Greece women

This game will be shown live in the UK on ITV's platforms. 

Lexi Potter is set for her England debut as Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman has named her in the starting XI for the second leg of England’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 play-off against Greece.

Wiegman has made two changes from the 3-1 first leg victory in Crete, for the game at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.

Potter is handed her debut from the start in central midfield as she replaces Laura Blindkilde Brown, while Jess Carter comes in for Esme Morgan in the centre of defence.

Grace Clinton also makes the bench in the only other change, as she was a late replacement for the injured Lucia Kendall in the squad on the eve of the first leg in Greece.

The match kicks off at 7.30pm (BST). It is available to watch live on ITV in the UK, while you can also follow all the action with our live commentary and stats right here or through our live blog on the England app.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Maya Le Tissier, 3 Leah Williamson ©, 4 Jess Carter, 5 Alex Greenwood, 6 Keira Walsh, 7 Georgia Stanway, 8 Lexi Potter, 9 Alessia Russo, 10 Lauren James, 11 Lauren Hemp.

Substitutes: 12 Niamh Charles, 13 Khiara Keating, 14 Laura Blindkilde Brown, 15 Esme Morgan, 16 Grace Fisk, 17 Jess Park, 18 Grace Clinton, 19 Beth Mead, 20 Erica Meg Parkinson, 21 Anna Moorhouse, 22 Freya Godfrey, 23 Ella Toone.

Braces for Alessia Russo and Lauren James helped England progress to round two of the FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying play-offs with a 5-0 victory over Greece at the King Power Stadium.

A rampant first half saw Russo give the Lionesses an early lead, before James’ double came either side of a goal from Georgia Stanway, with Russo adding her second after the break.

It marked an 8-1 aggregate win for England in the round one play-off and will see them face Ukraine for a spot at next summer’s tournament in Brazil.

England could not have hoped for a better start when Russo got them off the mark after just three minutes. James claimed possession in midfield before charging forward to play a through ball into Russo’s path and, evading the tackle of a recovering Eleni Markou, she slotted home with the Lionesses’ first shot.

Greece responded with a long-range effort from Ioanna Papatheodorou that Hannah Hampton parried away, but James soon put Russo in behind again only for her low cross to be cut out by the visiting defence.

It did not take long for the second to arrive, however. Maya Le Tissier burst in from the right to square to James at the top of the box before the forward unleashed a sumptuous strike into the far corner on 16 minutes.

James was once again the instigator on the half-hour mark as she drifted a cross into Le Tissier at the back post, who sent her effort over from close range.

England extended their lead a minute later as Lauren Hemp jinked into the left of the box and clipped a cross back off the byline to a waiting Stanway, who flicked her header home brilliantly.

Hemp flexed her creative muscles once again five minutes later as she whipped in a centre from deep for James to turn home her second of the game on 34 minutes.

Debutant Lexi Potter was denied a goal for a foul in the build-up on the stroke of half time, but England showed no signs of slowing down after the break as substitute Beth Mead headed a brilliant opportunity wide, before Stanway had a goal ruled out for a tight offside by VAR.

Hemp, Stanway and Alex Greenwood all had further chances before Mead’s audacious attempt at a flick through her legs went just wide before the hour mark.

And while England had to be patient for their fifth, Russo made no mistake when the opportunity presented itself, racing onto Keira Walsh’s pass to go clear once again and fire home her second on 75 minutes.

Having been introduced for her debut, Freya Godfrey came close to making the perfect start in a Lionesses shirt as she raced clear from the left but saw her low curling shot palmed wide by Styliani Katergiannaki.

With four debuts across both legs and an 8-1 aggregate victory, there is plenty for Sarina Wiegman to be positive about ahead of their meeting with Ukraine.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton (Chelsea); 2 Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), 3 Leah Williamson (Arsenal), 4 Jess Carter (Gotham FC), 5 Alex Greenwood (Manchester City); 6 Keira Walsh (Chelsea), 8 Georgia Stanway (Arsenal), 8 Lexi Potter (Chelsea); 10 Lauren James (Chelsea), 9 Alessia Russo (Arsenal), 11 Lauren Hemp (Manchester City)

Substitutions: 19 Beth Mead (Manchester City) for James 46, 12 Niamh Charles (Manchester City) for Le Tissier 59, 17 Jess Park (Manchester United) for Potter 60, 22 Freya Godfrey (London City Lionesses) for Hemp 60, 16 Grace Fisk (Liverpool) for Williamson 72

Substitutes not used: 13 Khiara Keating (Liverpool), 21 Anna Moorhouse (Manchester City, loan from Orlando Pride), 14 Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), 15 Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), 18 Grace Clinton (Manchester City), 20 Erica Meg Parkinson (North Carolina Courage), 23 Ella Toone (Manchester United)

Head coach: Sarina Wiegman

Goals: Russo 3, 75, James 16, 34, Stanway 30,
Yellow cards: Walsh 86

Greece: 12 Styliani Katergiannaki; 15 Vasiliki Giannaka, 4 Maria Gouni, 9 Eleni Markou, 22 Maria Paterna; 18 Efthimia Brame, 10 Veatriki Sarri, 17 Athanasia Moraitou; 14 Eleni Saich, 7 Ioanna Papatheodorou, 23 Kallisti Brouskair

Substitutions: 3 Stamatia Darzanou for Paterna 46, 8 Eleftheria Drakogiannaki for Brame 46, 20 Marianna Rapani for Moraitou 46, 6 Georgia Chalatsogianni for Sarri 70, 16 Panagiota Argyriou for Saich 81

Substitutions not used: 1 Dimitra Giannakouli, 13 Fafailia Dimitra Petaloti, 2 Argyro Fakinou, 5 Maria Kapnisi, 11 Ilektra Tzourtzevits, 19 Maria Palami, 21 Sophia Koggouli

Head coach: Vasilios Spertos