FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
The road to the summer 2027 tournament in Brazil starts here for the European nations, who will kick off their qualifying campaigns during this break.
Maya Le Tissier and Jess Park are in the England squad eyeing a successful start to what they hope will be a run to a second successive final in the global competition, after suffering a narrow defeat to Spain three years ago. The Lionesses, reigning European champions, will play away to Ukraine before hosting Iceland in Nottingham, at the start of March.
It’s Republic of Ireland away and Poland at home for France, who have selected United’s Melvine Malard to be part of their squad, while Dominique Janssen could play in a reverse of those fixtures for the Netherlands.
Lea Schuller’s Germany are due to take on Slovenia before meeting Norway, when a clash of club team-mates could take place, with Lisa Naalsund and Elisabeth Terland in the Scandinavians’ party that will travel to Austria first.
It is an encouraging sign to see Fridolina Rolfo named in the Sweden group, alongside team-mates Hanna Lundkvist and Julia Zigiotti, after a knock has kept her out of our last four games. Rolfo could build some minutes up before an important spell in United’s season, when the Swedes visit Italy and Serbia.
Meanwhile, there’s also multiple Reds in the Wales squad, with Mared Griffiths – on loan at Sunderland – and Safia Middleton-Patel flying the flag. Our young duo will hope to feature as Wales encounter Czechia and Montenegro in their first two World Cup qualifiers.
