World Cup 2027 qualifying draw live: England face Spain rematch as group opponents revealed | OneFootball

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England can learn from loss against Brazil in first game since Euros win, says Sarina Wiegman

England will play Spain in their World Cup qualifying group as the Lionesses were handed a blockbuster rematch with their Euro 2025 final opponents.

Sarina Wiegman’s side beat Spain on penalties to defend their European crown, but the two finalists from the 2023 World Cup were drawn in the same qualifying group as the road to the 2027 tournament in Brazil begins. Iceland and Ukraine will join England and world champions Spain in League A3.

The Lionesses faced the prospect of a testing route to Brazil after being placed in pot two, as a result of their Nations League performance where they finished runners-up to Spain before the Euros. The European qualifying format for the 2027 World Cup mirrors the Nations League.

Wales, who will want another taste of a major international tournament after making their debut at Euro 2025, will play Czechia, Albania, Montenegro in League B1, while Northern Ireland face Switzerland, Turkey and Malta in League B2 and Scotland take on Belgium, Israel and Luxembourg in League B4.

The Republic of Ireland, who qualified for the 2023 World Cup, face a tough group of their own against France, Netherlands and Poland in League A2.

There are only four automatic qualifying spots in European qualifying, which will go to the four League A winners, with every other team from League A and the best performing teams from League B and League C going through to the play-offs.

Sarina Wiegman: 'We seem to play Spain all the time'

Sarina Wiegman has reacted to England’s World Cup qualifying group, with the Football Association releasing these quotes after the Lionesses were drawn to face Spain, Iceland and Ukraine.

"We seem to meet up all the time, either in tournaments or in draws such as the Nations League now and you can see both teams are very, very competitive and close and so here we go again."

“I think it's also nice to play Iceland and Ukraine. We haven't played them for a long time. “Of course, they [Ukraine] got promoted to League A, which was very good for them and it's a team that we don't know very well at the moment but I find it nice to play a team that we don't know yet, to have that challenge.

“Iceland, of course, had to play against Northern Ireland in the play-offs which was was a tough team to play. I haven't played them with England, but they have some very good players in their squad too.

“I think it’s an exciting group and when we were drawn with Spain, you could tell in the room at the draw that it gave some excitement.”

(PA Wire)