England are one step closer to qualifying for the 2027 World Cup after a resounding aggregate 8-1 first-round play-off win against Greece.
The Lionesses’ 5-0 rout on Tuesday was much improved from their sluggish 3-1 away first-leg win against the side ranked 54 places below them. Alessia Russo and Lauren James looked full of confidence as they both grabbed a brace while Georgia Stanway, England’s top goalscorer, made it 11 goals in 11 appearances.
Head coach Sarina Wiegman handed a full debut to 20-year-old Lexi Potter while Freya Godfrey came off the bench to play her first minutes in an England shirt. Potter was one of two changes to the starting XI compared to Friday as Jess Carter came in for Esme Morgan at centre-back.
The Dutch coach used a different midfield formation to increase England’s goalscoring chances and is still tinkering ahead of next summer’s World Cup. England must beat Ukraine over two legs in the second round to secure qualification, but Wiegman is gradually assembling her squad.
The Athletic has listed 35 players most likely, as it stands, to make the cut for next summer’s tournament in Brazil.
This is an educated guess, and it’s important not to get too bogged down in the numbers. These rankings are not strict, and the names will change as the year progresses — though it’s safe to say the players towards the top are England’s safest bets.
1. Hannah Hampton
England’s clear No 1. There’s little else to say since the Earps v Hampton debate has finally been put to bed. Hampton is the most in-form English goalkeeper competing at the highest level. Her distribution is pivotal to England’s attack while her shot-stopping is strong. She’ll be disappointed not to have kept two clean sheets against Greece, but we’re nitpicking.
2. Alessia Russo
No debate about England’s No 9 despite a stuttering start with Arsenal. She has recovered form, scoring in both legs, bringing her season tally up to five in four games. There is little competition upfront, as shown when Wiegman did not call up another striker, knowing that she could play Lauren Hemp or Beth Mead in the No 9 role.
3. Keira Walsh
For the first time in years, probably not England’s most undroppable player. That’s not a reflection of her performances, which have been strong for club and country at the start of 2026-27. But England now have less competition than two years ago both in goal and up top, and find themselves with more midfield options. Walsh will always start if fit.
4. Georgia Stanway
A difficult start at Arsenal, and the emergence of other midfielders, means Stanway has more competition for her place than at any point since before Euro 2022. But she remains difficult to drop.
5. Lucy Bronze
Forced to stay home for the World Cup play-off matches due to a “minor injury” sustained during Chelsea’s 3-0 WSL win against West Ham. The fact that Wiegman chose to call up midfielder Ella Toone in her place, then play centre-back Maya Le Tissier in the first leg against Greece, points to two truths: Wiegman has no intention of auditioning Bronze’s spot ahead of Brazil and England have no natural backup. Bronze will be 35 next summer. The lack of an heir is not a new concern.
6. Leah Williamson
When injury-free, she is a sure starter under Wiegman, who is loyal to her captain even when her recent club form has been patchy. She seems undroppable, whereas Wiegman will rotate her centre-back partners as was the case in Tuesday’s second leg when Morgan dropped out of the back line. “I am absolutely not concerned about her form,” said Wiegman after the first leg. “I think she’s in great form.”
7. Lauren Hemp
Clearly Wiegman’s first-choice winger; she’s never left out of England’s starting XI. She’s occasionally played as the central attacker when others are unavailable, and given the lack of backups for Russo at No 9, might be needed there at some point.
8. Lauren James
There’s no other player at Wiegman’s disposal as effortlessly dangerous as James. We might not have gotten her sumptuous chipped finish in the first leg, but we got a perfectly weighted assist for Russo’s opener and two sensational goals within 20 minutes of each other. James was utilised again centrally, a sign of Wiegman’s trust in her defensive diligence and James’ ever-firming grasp on the No 10 position. What havoc this system can wreak there against stronger midfields remains to be seen. But the rule of thumb is this: if England want to win in Brazil, make space for James.
9. Alex Greenwood
Greenwood offers one of Wiegman’s key characteristics: versatility. Started both games ahead of Niamh Charles at left-back and that is clearly where Wiegman sees her, as opposed to her usual position of centre-back for Manchester City. Offers much-needed balance in the backline as the only natural left-footed player.
10. Esme Morgan
After a long period as a backup, Morgan has now emerged as Wiegman’s go-to partner for Williamson. Her move to Washington Spirit in the NWSL has taken her game to another level, and is helped by the fact that Wiegman is fond of using Greenwood as a left-back rather than a centre-back.
11. Beth Mead
Mead has been deployed with increasing regularity in the No 10 position for Manchester City this season, with mixed results. But the practice might benefit England. Wiegman’s replacement of midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown in the first leg, then James in the second with Mead was a nod to Wiegman’s faith in her ability to play more centrally while maintaining a goal-scoring threat. Mead remains a steady presence in this England side. Where exactly she most impacts could depend on her adaptation at City.
12. Jess Carter
Perhaps a surprise starter for the second leg, coming in for Morgan at centre-back. Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Gotham defender had only started one of the last five fixtures, a 3-0 win over Ukraine in June. Wiegman evidently trusts the 28-year-old, though as demonstrated in the Euro 2025 final.
13. Jess Park
An enigma of the Wiegman era. Park remains Manchester United’s heartbeat on the ball and one of their most tenacious off it. But the carte blanche supplied at United is something that, with James, Russo and other attacking threats, doesn’t work under Wiegman. Park was handed 30 minutes against Greece with the second leg already wrapped up but struggled to make a lasting impression.
14. Lexi Potter
The biggest winner since the previous camp. After only getting a handful of starts for Chelsea last season, Potter has been excellent in 2026-27, playing alongside Walsh as a commanding presence deep in midfield. She was outstanding in Chelsea’s recent 1-0 win over Arsenal. Her calmness and intelligence in possession are exactly what England have lacked when Walsh is marked out of matches. For all the speculation about who England play in the No 10 role, it’s conceivable that Wiegman uses the system she deployed in the second leg: Potter as the deepest midfielder alongside Walsh, who had more freedom to push forward, with Stanway playing the most advanced role.
15. Maya Le Tissier
A very good week for the Manchester United captain. Wiegman has been open about considering Le Tissier, a centre-back at club level, purely as a backup to Lucy Bronze at right-back. This has always been a slightly odd situation, but with Bronze absent through injury, Le Tissier stepped up in an attack-minded role, thumped in an excellent goal away in Greece, and should have netted in the home leg too.
16. Niamh Charles
Picked up an injury during new club City’s pre-season, which delayed her start to the domestic campaign but gradually accrued more minutes, leading to national team selection. Wiegman’s clear preference for Greenwood at left-back puts Charles, a right-footed left-back, in the understudy role. She is, however, a very versatile option, can also play at right-back as she did on Tuesday, and, as shown in the Euro 2025 final, can come on and do a job when it matters most.
17. Laura Blindkilde Brown
Started in the first leg tucking in from the right, which is not her usual position, but provided plenty of energy to regain the ball high up the pitch. She fulfilled her role but Wiegman replaced her with Mead at half-time as she wanted more of a goalscoring threat. The 23-year-old, who did not feature in the second leg, seems to be a squad player rather than a starter.
18. Ella Toone
Dropped for this window, then brought back by virtue of injury to Bronze. But the maturity with which she responded to this setback shouldn’t be overlooked from a player who has been so crucial to England’s triumphs. But Toone failed to find minutes in either match. Her performances at club level need to improve if she’s to guarantee a place on the plane, let alone fight for competitive minutes.
19. Aggie Beever-Jones
Scored a hat-trick during this international break — although it came at Chelsea’s training ground against West Ham Under-21s, which isn’t quite the situation she would have envisaged after Euro 2025. Wiegman said her omission was purely performance-related, but this is nevertheless a player who was top scorer for the WSL champions in 2024-25, and with the lack of obvious alternatives to Russo, will still likely be on the plane to Brazil if she plays regularly for Chelsea.
20. Khiara Keating
Nowhere close to challenging Hampton for the No 1 slot, but unlike some of the other backup options, Keating is a regular for her club side, Liverpool.
21. Erica Meg Parkinson
Having been a surprise selection in April, the 18-year-old not only returned to Wiegman’s squad but notably replaced James in the 85th minute in the first leg against Greece, becoming the youngest player to make her debut in Wiegman’s five-year tenure. The midfielder has featured consistently for North Carolina Courage, and she’s being rewarded for the step up. Despite the negligible time to make a tangible impact in that first leg, it was clear she had the intelligence and ability to make one. That’s enough to be in contention for Brazil.
22. Anna Moorhouse
Joined Manchester City on a short-term loan on deadline day. Has yet to feature for the reigning league champions and could face some competition for Hampton’s default backup to Keating, who left City in the summer and is playing consistently for Liverpool.
23. Freya Godfrey
Finally given her competitive England debut in the second-leg thrashing of Greece, Godfrey was bright and purposeful in her 30-minute cameo. She’ll be kicking herself for not putting her one-on-one chance away. While she’s cut herself a compelling attacking threat amid a squad of notable superstars at London City Lionesses, end product is an area Godfrey could improve on in the coming months to secure a place in Brazil. While she’s deployed mostly on the wing, she moonlighted in the No 9 in the 6-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur impressively and could offer cover for Russo.
24. Grace Fisk
The 28-year-old added a second England cap to her name as she replaced Williamson with 20 minutes left in the second-leg against Greece. Wiegman’s selection of Carter over her shows where Fisk sits in the defensive pecking order but the experienced and versatile defender remains a solid option for depth in Brazil.
25. Chloe Kelly
The biggest loser from this camp, not merely because she was omitted but because Wiegman remarked, upon belatedly recalling Toone after Bronze’s withdrawal, that she was impressed with Toone’s reaction. When asked about Kelly’s fitness in the press conference following the squad announcement, Wiegman said her decision was purely performance-related. An hour later, Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers said she had some hamstring “issues”. That said, when push comes to shove, will Wiegman overlook the player who has been responsible for so many big moments in major tournaments?
26. Lucia Kendall
Missed both games as she withdrew from the squad with a minor groin injury. Impressively held her own in midfield in April’s 1-0 win over Spain but then did not feature in their 4-0 defeat against the same opposition in the summer. Wiegman has many options in attacking midfield and her absence, through no fault of her own, does not help her cause. One to watch for the next window.
27. Lotte Wubben-Moy
Dropped from the squad as Wiegman chose only eight rather than nine defenders. The Arsenal centre-back had only started one game for her club ahead of selection. A good traveller for major tournaments, but given the centre-backs available, the competition is tough.
28. Michelle Agyemang
The supersub who exploded at Euro 2025 has missed nearly a year with an ACL injury. If she proves her fitness before the end of the season, given her impact in Switzerland, she has a very good chance of being in the World Cup squad, as no one has stepped up in her absence.
29. Grace Clinton
Received a late call-up after Kendall dropped out through injury. But Clinton hasn’t pushed on over the last couple of years, and Wiegman has other midfield options to choose from.
30. Ruby Mace
One of the most interesting outsiders despite being unable to find a way into Wiegman’s squad. Mace remained at Everton to play in the deep-lying midfield position for which England have earmarked her. Mace has been solid in the position. The 23-year-old ranks first in the league for interceptions (13) and minutes played (450). She finished last season with the third most interceptions (33) and tackles won (43). The brace she bagged against Birmingham before the international break seemed as much a message as anything to Wiegman. Whether the England head coach heeds it is another matter.
31. Taylor Hinds
Dropped from the squad for the second consecutive camp after featuring in every match since she switched allegiance back to England from Jamaica. The left-back has struggled for game time at Arsenal, and despite Wiegman’s lack of left-footed players, she is seemingly out of the picture.
32. Ellie Roebuck
Not included in Wiegman’s squad again and looks to have fallen down the goalkeeping pecking order ahead of Brazil. Yet to feature for Aston Villa this season, having lost out to new signing Akane Okuma for the No 1 shirt.
33. Missy Bo Kearns
The talented Aston Villa midfielder received some opportunities in the build-up to Euro 2025. Has sadly not played since suffering a miscarriage earlier this year, and has struggled with a foot injury at the start of this season.
34. Poppy Pattinson
The London City Lionesses left-back made her debut earlier this year but missed out on Wiegman’s last two squads. She may struggle for playing time at club level because of the outstanding Lucia Corrales.
35. Ella Morris
Arguably the only ‘natural’ right-back if Bronze is out. But Wiegman likes Le Tissier there; Morris spent most of last season injured, and hasn’t yet started a game for Tottenham in 2026-27.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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