Author: Darcey Slater

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International

Women’s World Cup European Qualification – Everything you need to know

Today we found out the groups for the Women’s World Cup European qualification, which will take place across the March, April, and June international windows for 2026. So what happened?

League A’s first group features Sweden, Italy, Denmark, and Serbia. Sweden’s women are a force to be reckoned with. With speedy strikers and a solid defence, they are a strong side to come up against. They hold the record for the most World Cup bronze medals (four times), but will definitely be pushing for more in qualification for 2027. Italy had a record-breaking Euros, making it to the semi-finals in 2025, which is the furthest they’ve made it in a major competition since 1997. Will they carry on their momentum into World Cup qualification? Denmark had a disappointing Euros in 2025 compared to their previous major competitions; they finished bottom of their group and didn’t get any points on the board. But could this be the shock they need to succeed in 2027? This is Serbia’s debut appearance in League A of the Nations League (used for qualification); they’ve got something to prove, but will it be a struggle in a group of leading sides?

Group A2 is Constancy Sports’ group of death, featuring France, the Netherlands, Poland, and the Republic of Ireland. France ranks highly in the world and poses a challenge for all the top teams they face. Since the late 1990s, France has consistently performed well, and they always put up a strong defence for whoever they play. The Netherlands are a strong team with both young talent and veteran players. They have lots of experience at the top level, winning the 2017 Euros and reaching the 2019 Women’s World Cup final. Poland women played in their first-ever major competition this year with the 2025 Women’s Euros. They were the underdogs of their group, losing to Sweden and Germany, but were able to beat Denmark in a tight match. The Republic of Ireland featured in their first-ever major tournament at the previous World Cup (2023), appearing in the group of death. They struggled but left their mark on the competition, scoring on Olympic gold medalists Canada and getting their first World Cup points in a 0-0 draw with Nigeria.

Group A3 had the one thing most Lionesses fans were dreading as England was paired with Spain in their group. Along with these two teams, they were pulled Iceland and Ukraine. Spain is a strong team, being the reigning World Cup champions (2023) and runners-up for the most recent Euros (2025); they are a force to reckon with. England are back-to-back Euros winners under magical manager Sarina Wiegman, but the one trophy both the nation and manager haven’t won is the World Cup. Will they be able to do it this time around? Iceland competed in the Euros but finished bottom of the group. They could come back stronger and prove they can compete in the top major competitions. This will be Ukraine’s debut campaign in the Nations League, but will they be able to make an issue for the other teams in their group? Ultimately, with two recent European finalists and two highly motivated opponents fighting for a single automatic spot, Group A3 is shaping up to be an intensely dramatic qualifying campaign.

Finally, we’ve got Group A4, comprising Germany, Norway, Austria, and Slovenia. Germany are the original winners. Winning the Euros 8 times and the World Cup twice, they’ve got lots of silverware in their cabinet and are hungry for more. They’ll be the team people place their bets on to win this group, but will they live up to the expectations? Norway are former European, World, and Olympic champions, and thus have one of the most successful histories, but in recent years have struggled. In recent major competitions, they have suffered large defeats and been knocked out early, but could this be their comeback campaign? Austria are a successful team in Europe but struggle to transfer this over to the world stage. They’ve had success in the 2017 Euros, making it to the semi-finals of their first-ever major tournament, along with the 2022 competition, where they made the quarter-finals. But while they can compete in the Euros, they haven’t qualified for a World Cup yet, so could this be their year to show their talent on the world stage? Slovenia was founded in 1992, so they are playing catch-up with the rest of the teams. Their best result was making it to the play-offs for the 2009 European Championship. Could they stand in the way of the big teams in their group?

League B stands as:

B1:

  • Wales
  • Czechia
  • Albania
  • Montenegro

B2:

  • Switzerland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Turkey
  • Malta

B3:

  • Portugal
  • Finland
  • Slovakia
  • Latvia

B4:

  • Belgium
  • Scotland
  • Israel
  • Luxembourg

League C stands as:

C1:

  • Bosnia
  • Estonia
  • Lithuania
  • Lichtenstein

C2:

  • Croatia
  • Kosovo
  • Bulgaria
  • Gibraltar

C3:

  • Hungary
  • Azerbaijan
  • North macedonia
  • Andora

C4:

  • Greece
  • Faroe Islands
  • Georgia

C5:

  • Romania
  • Cyprus
  • Moldova

C6:

  • Belarus
  • Kazakhstan
  • Armenia
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Uncategorized

New faces and the ‘New Cycle: England’s squad named

Photo Credits: Martin Rickett

Sarina Weigman announced her 23-player squad ahead of the October international window. Who made the cut? Who will we see in the lineup? What did Sarina say about the fans? Here’s everything you need to know

Firstly, she spoke on Millie Bright’s international retirement, saying “she’s been huge for us, for me, for the team, on and off the pitch.”. She also mentioned her career as a whole, stating, “I’m just really grateful that I’ve been just a little bit part of her journey, and grateful that she’s been part of my team…”

There three new faces in the squad: Katie Reid, Taylor Hinds, and Lucia Kendall. Sarina spoke on each of them, saying, “We’re going into a new era. We’re going into a new cycle. Qualifying for the World Cup, hopefully, and then going to the World Cup. So I want to see talented players in some positions.”

A successful start of the season for Reid, playing in 5 and starting in 5. Sarina spoke on how impressed she was, saying, “This season, already of course, a couple of moments last season. She’s done good in the pathway too, and I just see some very good things on the pitch with her, and I hope she can show that in our environment too, because I’m excited to see her in our environment and how she relates to the other players in the squad.”

Taylor Hinds changed her allegiance to Jamaica in 2024, receiving her first call-up for the Reggae Girlz in October last year. A year on from that decision, she’s been called up to the Lionesses. Sarina stated, “At the same time, she’s really excited to come into our environment, too, and she feels connected with England, and she feels connected with Jamaica, which, of course, is totally understandable.”

A call-up that wasn’t on anybody’s radar saw Aston Villa’s Lucia Kendall receive her first senior Lionesses call-up. The manager spoke on why she called her up, “Well, really, it’s like her game understanding. Reading the game really well. Being tough in duels, but also in possession, doing well. I think her positioning, most of her positioning and game understanding, I thought, was really good”

Both Grace Clinton and Lucy Bronze made the cut but won’t be able to play full matches for the Lionesses. Sarina spoke on each of them, outlining, “No, they will not be able to play two games, two full games in a couple of days.” 

She also mentioned Grace Clinton, specifically stating, “Grace will be assessed this week. She had a minor injury… I just didn’t want to rule out, because it is a minor injury, and when she progresses really well, she can be available for us.”

She finally spoke about the fans and getting to go to stadiums around England. “It’s exciting. We haven’t played in Etihad, I think. So that’s exciting. Many people come watch us.”. She also commented on the fans as a whole and their support, emphasising, “We just grow. And we were overloaded in the stands all the time in that tournament, even when we were abroad.” 

Categories
WSL

West Ham signings: Everything you need to know

West Ham Women are making a few key adjustments ahead of the 25/26 season. The team has made a limited number of new signings, focusing on bringing in targeted talent to strengthen the squad. We take a closer look at the few new players who have joined the club this summer, and what they’re expected to bring to the team.

Ffion Morgan

Boasting valuable WSL experience, Ffion Morgan is an ideal signing to bolster the Hammers’ midfield. She arrived at the club after departing Bristol at the end of last season, concluding a four-year spell with the club. 

This summer marked a historic moment as she was selected for Wales’ first-ever major competition. She featured in all three matches, and despite the outcome, the team’s presence inspired a generation and put Welsh football firmly in the spotlight.

Sarah Brasero 

She’s a promising young midfielder who has previously played for Ipswich, Lewes, and a Portuguese side, Estoril. Brásero signed for the Hammers on a three-year deal, saying she is “ready to take the next step” and “play in the best league in the world” with the Women’s Super League side.

She’s played for the Lionesses since the under-15s, now playing for Emma Coates’ under-23s team. She made her debut for the team in December 2024, in the side’s 2-1 defeat against Sweden and has represented them twice since then. 

Yu Endo

Yu Endo spent 15 years as a dedicated player for Urawa Reds, having risen through their youth ranks before making her professional debut in 2016. During her long tenure, she was a consistent presence for the club, making 171 appearances and winning numerous trophies, including back-to-back WE League titles in 2023 and 2024. She’s taking her first steps outside Japan to sign for West Ham. 

A seasoned international, Endo has been a member of the Japanese women’s national team, earning multiple caps for her country. She has been a consistent presence in recent squads and has represented Japan on the world stage. Her performances on the international level showcase her value as a player with both technical skill and experience.

Leila Wandeler

The young forward joins the Hammers from French Giants Lyon, having played for their academy, B team, and main squad. Leila Wandeler is a talented Swiss defender who spent her youth playing for BSC YB Frauen in Switzerland before playing for LSK Kvinner FK in Norway and KIF Örebro in Sweden. This past year, she made her move to the Women’s Super League to join West Ham United, having built a strong career across multiple European leagues.

She has also played for the Swiss women’s national team. She’s represented them since the under-17s level but received her first call-up in June 2024. Since then, she has made four appearances and featured in a home European Championship, making it to the quarter-finals.  

Anna Csiki

Anna joins the Hammers from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, where she received little game time due to suffering an ACL injury in 2022. She previously played for Swedish side BK Hacken for four years, making 66 appearances as well as scoring 8 goals. She made her debut for her first professional team (Ferencvárosi TC) at just 15 years old. There she won the Női NB I (League title) twice, along with the Hungary cup 3 times. 

She has also been capped for the Hungary women’s national team, making her debut in 2017. She has featured in Friendlies along with the qualifying cycle for the 2022 Euros, making 44 appearances and scoring 8 goals.

Categories
WSL

Chelsea v Manchester City Pre-Match Press Conference

Alyssa Thompson was the main focus for the start of the conference with questions around her potential signing. Sonia Bompastor said that shes focusing on her players. She also said “There’s always speculations around the transfer window but from the beginning of the week I’ve said I want to focus on the game tomorrow and I want to focus on my players because that’s the most important thing to do for me and the correct thing”

Sam Kerr is confirmed to be on the teamsheet for tommrows match. Sonia said “She’s in a good place, training well she’s physically in a good position. She’s also mentally in a good position,” she also mentioned that we would need to give her more time to be back to 100% saying “I think to be fair to her, she’s been away from the pitch for a long time, so I think we still need to be patient with her.”

The manager also spoke about some of the injuries going into the season. Firstly, commenting on the recent announcement of Mayra Ramierz being out with a hamstring injury until 2026, where she said, “She had successful surgery, which is something really positive, but then again it’s sad for Mayra and for us because she was an important player in the squad and in the team.”

She also mentioned Lucy Bronze saying its difficult to put a timeframe on her return “ she’s doing well she’s in a good place mentally and physically so hopefully she will come back soon I think she’s still some weeks away from her return on the pitch”

Finally It was Lauren James where she said it was also difficult to put a timeframe on it, additionally saying “Her rehab is going on the right direction. I’m not expecting to see her for the next few weeks because again she’s an important player and we need her on the pitch.”

Sonia also commented on tomorrow’s opponents, saying “They have a really good squad and really good players, and it’s never been an easy game to play against them. It’s always been difficult.”

She also noted a key difference from last season, highlighting the City’s players back from injury. “If you analyze them from last season, they had some big injuries in the squad, so they will be back to having almost a full squad. It will be different for sure.”

We asked Sonia: “We’re seeing more clubs invest heavily in their women’s teams. Does that make the WSL more unpredictable this season than ever before, and what do you think we’ll see?

She said “Yeah, for sure making a WSL more unpredictable  the more clubs are investing making it more strong and more competitive. I think again this league is the most competitive league in the world from my vision. It’s not because last season we were able to achieve a treble and to win all the domestic trophies. It was difficult last season and it’ll be even more difficult this season we expect that so we just need to make sure we keep the right mentality and keep working hard and keep this winning mentality into this new season and we need to be confident from what we achieved in the past, but also making sure we don’t take that for granted because we know every team will be difficult to beat this season no one is going to give us the trophy.”

Finally, Vera Buurman is one of Chelsea’s possible debuts to be made tomorrow. Sonia said “She’s left footed and she has a really good left foot, she’s really comfortable on the ball and in position.”. She also spoke her game intelligence saying “She’s young and out of position she’s really smart and reads the game really well.”. Finally she added “She has the right mentality and she’s coming on in the right direction.”