Why England missed out on automatic World Cup spot

England secured a 3-0 victory over Ukraine on Tuesday night, but this result was insufficient for automatic qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup. Automatic qualification had already moved beyond England's control prior to the match. The team's fate was dependent on the outcome of the Netherlands' match against Scotland, which concluded with a 4-0 win for the Netherlands. This result meant the Netherlands secured the top spot in Group A, thereby earning the sole automatic qualification berth from the group. England will now enter the play-offs to determine their path to the World Cup.