Lionesses take step closer to World Cup but do not look like they can win it

**Lead**

England's women's national team took another significant step towards automatic qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup with a workmanlike victory, yet the display did little to convince observers that Sarina Wiegman's side are genuine contenders to lift the trophy in Brazil. The Lionesses, playing in front of another sold-out crowd at Wembley, secured the result their dominant possession warranted, but the performance was once again characterised by the same issues that have troubled them since their European Championship triumph in 2022: a lack of penetration against deep defences, an over-reliance on set pieces, and a worrying inability to sustain attacking intensity for the full ninety minutes.

**Context**

The victory keeps England firmly on course for automatic qualification, with the top two nations from each European qualifying group progressing directly to the finals. It also extends the team's unbeaten record in the current campaign, a record that has been built on solid defensive organisation and the individual quality of key players such as Lauren James, Keira Walsh, and Lucy Bronze. However, beneath the comforting statistics lies a more uncomfortable reality. England's recent results against the highest-ranked opposition have been mixed at best. While they have regularly dispatched teams ranked below them in the FIFA world rankings, their performances against the current world champions, as well as against the likes of France and Germany, have often exposed a tactical fragility that was rarely visible during the euphoric run to the European title.

The current qualifying group, which includes a mix of established European nations and emerging footballing countries, was always likely to be a formality for a squad of England's calibre. The Lionesses have won every match so far, scoring consistently and conceding few goals, but the manner of those victories has occasionally been laboured. In particular, their difficulty in breaking down compact, well-organised defences has become a recurring theme. Against teams that sit deep and rely on quick transitions, England frequently dominate possession but create only a handful of clear-cut chances. This was evident again in this latest outing, where a single first-half goal, scored from close range after a period of sustained pressure, proved sufficient to separate the sides.

There are, of course, mitigating circumstances. Injuries have disrupted Wiegman's preferred starting eleven, with several key players either absent or not fully fit. The manager has also used the qualifying campaign to experiment with formations and personnel, giving valuable minutes to younger players and trying to build greater squad depth ahead of the finals. That process, while sensible in principle, has at times resulted in a lack of cohesion and fluency in attack. The midfield, once the heartbeat of England's most successful era, has looked less dominant, while the forward line has struggled to offer the same variety of movement that made Ellen White and then Alessia Russo so effective in the penalty area.

**Analysis**

The central question surrounding this England side is no longer whether they can qualify for major tournaments, but whether they can shed the label of perennial bridesmaids on the biggest stage. Their history at the Women's World Cup is a tale of near misses: a third-place finish in 2015, a semi-final appearance in 2019, and a heartbreaking final defeat in 2023. In each of those campaigns, England showed the character and resilience that have become hallmarks of the Wiegman era, but they were ultimately undone by the finest of margins against opponents who possessed a greater cutting edge at decisive moments. This qualifying campaign was always going to be more about development than destination, yet the lack of a visibly evolving attacking structure is a genuine cause for concern.

Wiegman is known for her pragmatism and her ability to organise teams to be exceptionally difficult to beat. That attribute has served England well and is precisely why they remain one of the world's leading nations. But winning a World Cup against the current champions Spain, or against a resurgent United States, requires more than defensive solidity. It requires a level of creative invention and cold-blooded efficiency in front of goal that England have too often lacked in the biggest matches. The statistics of this qualifying campaign tell a story of dominance, but the underlying metrics reveal that England create fewer open-play chances against organised defences than their possession share would suggest. There is also a lingering concern about the team's ability to change the course of a match when trailing, as demonstrated by their failure to recover from an early deficit in the final against Spain two years ago.

The encouraging aspect is that England still have time to refine their approach before heading to Brazil. The remaining qualifiers offer further opportunities to build momentum and test alternative solutions. Players like James, if deployed centrally, could provide the spark that the team sometimes lacks, while the continued emergence of young talents could add freshness and unpredictability to the squad. Nevertheless, the current evidence points to a team that is comfortable being the protagonist against lesser opposition but still searching for the key to unlock elite defences. As one former England international noted in a recent broadcast, the Lionesses have mastered the art of winning games they are expected to win; the real test will come when they face opponents who are not afraid of Wembley or of the white shirt. For now, the tickets to the World Cup are within touching distance, but the path to hoisting the trophy remains clouded by doubt.

**Fontes**

The Football Association (FA) official website FIFA.com team profile and match data UEFA.com Women's World Cup qualification standings BBC Sport women's football coverage Sky Sports News match reports