# Lionesses secure World Cup playoff win

> England edges Greece in Women's World Cup playoff with 3-1 lead.
- Title: Lionesses secure World Cup playoff win · the Guardian
- Summary: England edges Greece in Women's World Cup playoff with 3-1 lead. England's Lionesses secure a 3-1 victory over Greece in their Women's World Cup playoff tie…
- Keywords: england women's football, greece women's football, women's world cup, world cup qualifying, women's football, lions, seahawks, nfl, sports, Lionesses, secure, World
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/football/2026/oct/09/greece-england-womens-world-cup-qualifying-playoff
- Published: 2026-10-09T18:46:37+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: england women's football, greece women's football, women's world cup, world cup qualifying, women's football, lions, seahawks, nfl, sports
## England edges Greece in playoff
England secured a 3-1 victory over Greece in their Women's World Cup playoff tie.

> We want to play really well. Of course, we go out to win, but we want to show more than winning, we want to play really well too.
## Wiegman acknowledges sloppy play
Sarina Wiegman admitted England was 'a bit sloppy' despite securing a valuable first-leg win.

> I think we made it a bit harder [for ourselves]
## Russo scores third goal
Alessia Russo scored England's third goal against Greece with a low strike.

> We were, in moments, really good on the ball
## Greece's disciplined defense
Greece, ranked 59th globally, remained well-prepared and organized despite being underdogs.

> very well-prepared, very well-organised and very disciplined
## England's lack of urgency
England struggled with their usual zip and urgency during the match.

> we could have made better decisions, too
## Low attendance at match
Only a few thousand fans attended the match despite free tickets for the Greek home crowd.

> there was scarcely any cheers from the home supporters
## England's early goal
Georgia Stanway opened the scoring with a neat finish after a team move.

> a delicious chip from 25 yards out from Lauren James
## Greece scores late goal
Kallisti Brouksair scored a late goal for Greece to keep the tie alive.

> Rangers' Brouksair pulled a goal back
## Key takeaway

England's Lionesses secure a 3-1 victory over Greece in their Women's World Cup playoff tie, but the match was marked by England's sloppiness and Greece's disciplined defense.