Six questions facing England as they target next year’s Women’s World Cup

England have two jobs to do on Tuesday. The first, avoiding an almighty upset and progressing past Greece on aggregate in their Women’s World Cup playoff to reach a final tie, should be a formality for one of the world’s best-resourced teams. The second, honing their style to play like contenders for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil, is a far trickier but crucial challenge.

Friday’s relatively uninspiring 3-1 first-leg victory in Crete left room for improvement and England had plenty to work on as they trained at St George’s Park on Monday under gloomy-looking clouds. More broadly, over the next eight months, there are six questions facing the European champions.

Can England defend well enough to win a world title? England had 58 touches in Greece’s box and turned that into three goals, whereas Greece had two touches in England’s box but managed to score and hit the crossbar. Sarina Wiegman said she was not happy her team had conceded. Their defending in June’s 4-0 defeat by Spain also left much to be desired, and it feels as if England are not yet certain about who should partner the captain, Leah Williamson, at centre-back. Wiegman mentioned on Monday that stopping counterattacks was something they must fix – they also struggled defending quick breaks in April 2025 when losing in Belgium. That year, they found a way to win the Euros but they must tighten up defensively if they want to win a first world title in the Maracanã in July.

Why are the forwards not clicking? England were wasteful in the final third in Greece and not for the first time in recent months. In the World Cup qualifying group England were 1-0 and 2-0 winners over Iceland in games where they should have scored more. A ruthless Spain, the world’s No 1 side, secured 6-1 and 3-0 wins over Iceland. On Monday Wiegman was asked what one element of Friday’s performance she would most like to improve and replied: “The execution in the final third. We got in good positions but then it’s [about] staying onside, having the final pass, the right pass at the right moment, the run at the right time, and deciding what cross or cutback you’re going to choose.”

Who should start in attacking midfield? For the past year, it has repeatedly felt as if Wiegman does not know who should start as the No 10, with Jess Park, Lucia Kendall and Laura Blindkilde Brown given chances along with Lauren James. Dropping – and recalling – Ella Toone, plus the late addition of Grace Clinton to this squad, adds mystery. Erica Meg Parkinson’s debut on Friday adds another youngster into the mix, and Beth Mead can also play as a 10. Asked on Friday whether the No 10 position had the most question marks surrounding it, Wiegman said: “There’s a lot of competition on that position, where we have a lot of options, which also means, tactically, we can do different things. You can call it a ‘question mark’ – I call it many options.”

What about the right wing? England’s left-wing starting position feels nailed on for Lauren Hemp, who has been in tremendous form for Manchester City. The right side, however, looks uncertain, not least because Chloe Kelly has been left out. James, England’s most technically gifted player, would be the first choice for many, but she can also play centrally, and the uncapped Freya Godfrey has impressed for London City Lionesses. On Friday, Blindkilde Brown started on the right before being replaced at half-time by Mead. Whoever starts, there are only a handful of matches before next summer to build fluidity.

Which youngsters should be given a chance? There have been growing calls for the 20-year-old Chelsea midfielder Lexi Potter to be handed her debut and the 21-year-old Godfrey could be in line for her debut on Tuesday. If England held a greater first-leg advantage, England would surely be more likely to experiment in Leicester, although Wiegman confirmed she would make changes. Keira Walsh said of her Chelsea teammate Potter that it was “a really good thing that she’s finally being appreciated for how good she is”, and added: “Her intelligence gives me confidence, knowing that she’s perfectly capable of stopping the counter.” There has also been praise for Parkinson, with Esme Morgan, who has played against Parkinson in the NWSL, describing the 18-year-old as a “smart player, really tidy on the ball, with incredibly good movement”. It remains to be seen whether Wiegman will opt for youth or experience as the season progresses.

Do England need clarity over Wiegman’s future? Off the pitch, the biggest unknown facing England is the future of Wiegman, whose contract runs until the end of the World Cup. There have been no reasons to suspect the squad are unsettled by the uncertainty, but the topic is likely to be mentioned in every England press conference until there is clarity. Walsh said on Monday: “Obviously I’d want her to stay. I think everyone in England would love her to stay. I really appreciate her as a manager but it’s her decision.” Wiegman did not wish to discuss the matter, saying: “We’re only focused on Greece and I don’t want to talk about me.”