England can qualify for 2027 Women's World Cup with draw

England can secure a place at the 2027 Women's World Cup with a draw against Spain in a crucial qualifier in Mallorca on Friday. The match, a rematch of the last two major tournament finals, will decide which team earns the lone automatic qualification spot from Group A3.

England, the reigning European champions, lead the group with a perfect record from four matches and hold a three-point advantage over Spain, the current world champions. A draw would guarantee England top spot due to their superior head-to-head record, earned with a 1-0 victory at Wembley in April. A win for Spain, however, would set up a decisive final group match next week.

England manager Sarina Wiegman stated her team's intention is to win the match outright and secure qualification as quickly as possible. She acknowledged the difficulty of the game but emphasized the team is ready. England will be without captain Leah Williamson due to a hamstring injury, but the rest of the travelling squad is reported to be fit.

Spain, under manager Sonia Bermudez, must win to keep their hopes of automatic qualification alive. A victory by two or more goals would give them the head-to-head advantage over England. The...