‘An unbelievable year’ – how ready are Lionesses for World Cup qualifiers?

Under the guidance of manager Sarina Wiegman, the Lionesses won their third major tournament title in a row in Switzerland in the summer.

They held a “homecoming series” in October, November, and December, playing four friendly matches against Brazil, Australia, China, and Ghana.

Isn’t it acceptable to have back-to-back European titles? Ellen White, a former England international, stated on the podcast hosted by 5 Live’s Women’s Football Weekly, “it’s been an incredible year.”

“It’s amazing what the team has accomplished, and how they continue to work hard to expose women’s football.”

Wiegman’s men won the first major football award on foreign soil and won the title with their triumph at Euro 2025.

After finishing third to them in the Nations League group stages in June, they defeated world champion Spain in the final.

England also won one penalty draw and lost four of the previous 12 victories in the Euros final.

In the most recent international window, West Ham defender Anouk Denton and goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse made their debuts this year under Wiegman.

Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones are just two of the forwards to have breakout years.

Beever-Jones said to BBC Sport, “I wouldn’t believe you if you told me this year that everything that happened would happen,” referring to how incredible a year it has been.

“Everything I’ve learned on the pitch has been true, but I’m still very young and still learning a lot about myself.”

It’s dealing with the pressures of that because I’ve been playing more for club and country. I’m very pleased with my growth.

The Asian champions’ China’s 8-0 thrashing on Saturday demonstrated England’s lack of ruthlessness, which it has sometimes shown this year.

The Lionesses are “building” their way forward in what has been referred to as a “new era” for them in the 2027 World Cup, according to Striker Alessia Russo.

She told ITV, “You can train a little more and try new things and try new relationships when you have friendlies and camps where you can have time.”

England’s next goal is straightforward: to make it to Brazil for the 2027 World Cup.

Along with Ukraine and Iceland, they were drawn in a qualifying group along with 2023 champions Spain, who defeated the Lionesses in the final.

upcoming matches for England:

Ukraine vs. England on March 3rd.

England vs. Iceland on March 7

14 April: England vs. Spain

Iceland and England vs. April 18th

5 June: Spain vs. England

England vs. Ukraine on June 9

The 2035 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be ratified by a vote in a Fifa congress in 2026, with England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland still holding out.

Wiegman told BBC Sport during their run of games for the World Cup that he never takes anything for granted. I enjoy the group stage because we are familiar.

“We never get rid of each other; it’s Spain and ourselves; we play Spain once more.” It is a game of absolute top quality. However, I’m also eager to play nations that we haven’t played in the previous four years.

The main objective is to qualify for the World Cup, and we want to do really well. In the event that that happens first in the group, play-offs will follow.

England hopes that South America will be a departure with only eight international camps until the end of the year.

Wiegman will be encouraged by the rapid growth of a number of young players this year because it is not very long between her players’ jobs.

Russo has been in a competition with Beever-Jones, and Lucia Kendall, a midfielder for Aston Villa, won player of the match in both of her two starts in October and December.

Maya le Tissier, the captain of Manchester United, impressed at centre-back while Taylor Hinds did well for Arsenal against Australia and Ghana.

England are in good hands thanks to goalkeeper Hannah Hampton’s success at Euro 2025, which earned her the Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d’Or awards.

However, a number of players will be looking to recover from injuries from a grueling 2025.

Since the Euros, Chelsea’s Lauren James missed the previous England camp having only recently recovered from an ankle injury, and Manchester City’s Alex Greenwood is currently out with an injury.

After receiving her first England call-up in October, Katie Reid, a teenager at Arsenal, tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will need to compete for a spot in the squad.

Agyemang made her Euro 2025 debut with a stunning goal in April, but she also suffered an ACL injury and will need to work up quickly to recover.