England blitz Greece, set up Ukraine for World Cup spot

Greece arrived already needing something close to a miracle after the first leg, and England made sure there was no comeback story to write. Lauren James scored twice and set up another, Alessia Russo added a brace of her own either side of half-time, and Georgia Stanway was also among the goals as the Lionesses put the tie beyond doubt by the interval.

Four goals, one half

England were 4-0 up at the break: Russo opened the scoring inside three minutes, James doubled it in the 16th, Stanway made it three in the 30th, and James grabbed her second in the 34th. England pressed high, moved the ball with real tempo, and Greece simply couldn't find a foothold. By the time the players walked off at the break, the aggregate score was already out of sight and the second half became a formality.

James was the standout, drifting between the lines and combining with Russo throughout. Her two goals and an assist put her squarely in the conversation as England's most dangerous attacker heading into the final.

Russo's second and a complete performance

Russo wasn't done. She added her second, and the tie's fifth goal, in the 75th minute to round off the scoring. England spread the goals around, controlled midfield, and never let Greece settle into any kind of rhythm across either leg. The 8-1 aggregate scoreline reflects a gap England exploited from the first whistle to the last.

Ukraine next, World Cup on the line

The reward is a playoff final against Ukraine, with qualification for the 2027 World Cup the prize for the winner. It's a one-off, winner-takes-all tie, and England go into it on the back of a performance that ticked every box: ruthless finishing, control for long spells, and a scoreline that leaves no room for doubt about where the confidence sits.

Greece's campaign ends here, undone by a first half they'll want to forget quickly. For England, the job now is to carry that sharpness into a final where there's no second leg to put things right if it goes wrong.