England's qualification journey to Brazil and the 2027 Women's World Cup started with a dominant 6-1 win over Ukraine in Antalya, Türkiye, on Tuesday.
Ukraine put in a valiant performance, but spent much of the match pinned back in their own half. Playing so deep gifted England the majority of possession and in the end it was a comfortable victory for the Lionesses after a frustrating first half. England had 85% possession in the first 45 minutes but were wasteful in front of goal. The match was locked 0-0 at the break despite Ukraine not having a single touch of the ball in England's box let alone a shot on goal.
But the Lionesses soon made the breakthrough after the break with Alessia Russo grabbing her first in the 47th minute and then adding a second four minutes later. Ukraine pinned one back thanks to a smart strike from Yana Kalinina but England soon struck back. Georgia Stanway slotted home a penalty in the 64th minute after Lauren Hemp was fouled, and she then powered home England's fourth and her second in the 70th minute. England were cruising and Jess Park had time to add a double of her own.
The match also saw Leah Williamson and Lauren James make their return to the national team for the first time since they started in the Euro 2025 final in England's penalty shootout win over Spain. While the win also saw a superb performance from Stanway, Park growing in influence in the team and further depth built in the fullbacks in what signified the start of their World Cup campaign. Though England were dominant, there are still aspects to focus on ahead of Iceland in Nottingham on Saturday.
England start 2026 by dominating away from home
In her pre-match interview, Sarina Wiegman said she wanted a "clear win". Their last run out was against Ghana back in December, and England completely dominated proceedings but only had a 2-0 win to show for it. In Derby on that cold evening, they hit the woodwork three times and were generally wasteful. The first-half performance in Türkiye looked to be a similar tale, as England knocked at the door, but just couldn't find a way in.
England haven't always found it easy away from home. In their Nations League matches following the World Cup final in 2023, they lost away to the Netherlands and Belgium, a pair of defeats which ultimately cost them a place in the 2024 Olympics.
Though they ultimately qualified for the Euros, and went on to win it, this time around, there's no room for error with Spain lying in wait. England knew they had to get a fast start in Türkiye, and duly delivered, eventually.
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The first half saw Ukraine sit incredibly deep, looking to soak up the pressure and hit England on the counter. Though any best laid plans were soon ripped up when Nicole Kozlova was forced off injured in the seventh minute. Wiegman had gone with Laura Blindkilde Brown in the No. 10 role, and Park on the flank. Taylor Hinds and Maya Le Tissier were named at fullback, with Williamson partnering Lotte Wubben-Moy in the middle. The tactics saw England frequently rotating positions, but try as they might, headers went over, set pieces went awry, and Wubben-Moy's backheeled attempt hit a Ukrainian defender.
The switches Wiegman made at half-time, as she brought on Poppy Pattinson for her England debut and introduced Esme Morgan, gave England more impetus and play narrower. Russo soon found her radar with two ruthless close-range finishes, while Stanway's influence grew and Park found more time on the ball. The eventual scoreline was a fair reflection of the balance of play in what was a tricky away trip.
Stanway and Park deliver
Stanway became the first England player to score in four consecutive matches since Ellen White managed that feat back in 2019, in what was an all-action performance from the Bayern Munich midfielder. She's been a frequent figure all the way through Wiegman's tenure, but this was a hugely impressive performance. She will leave Bayern in the summer, and is likely to end up in north London in the WSL and was essential in the transitional play, while also effective in front of goal.
She could've got a first-half penalty had she gone down when her jersey was being wrestled off her, while she also fashioned one of the best moments of the opening 45 as she nutmegged a player and then fired a dangerous shot on goal. Eventually the pressure told in the second half -- her first was a well-taken penalty, slotting that down to Kateryna Samson's right. And her second was a powerful effort as she carried the ball into the box, saw Ukraine's defence backing off and then fired a shot into the top corner of Ukraine's net. She was everywhere on the pitch, constantly popping up on both flanks and through the middle.
She dovetailed well with Park, who has been in immense form for Manchester United. Park started through the middle but moved to the right and England got her into the game more in the second half. Both her goals were well-taken, the second a wonderful, lofted effort which looped over the keeper's head and in. You feel that as the World Cup ticks ever closer, Park's influence in this team is going to grow. While Keira Walsh pulled the strings effortlessly as she had freedom of the pitch deep in midfield, Park's performance would have pleased Wiegman.
Set pieces need tweaking
If you are to pick holes in one aspect of England's performance, then it'd be around the set pieces. The fullbacks took England's corners and produced mixed results. Le Tissier's delivery was sound, but Hinds' efforts in the first half were far too wayward. It'll be a valuable lesson for Wiegman, but equally an aspect which needs to be worked on ahead of Iceland and other tasks in the future.
And in defence, Ukraine's sole goal came from a tricky free kick which England failed to clear. Morgan was the guilty party this time, and though Kalinina's finish was sublime, it was Ukraine's first attack on goal, and the Lionesses failed that test.
But it did give us the chance to witness Ukraine's celebrations. At this stage Kalinina goal reduced England's lead to 2-1 and Ukraine had hope of forcing an equaliser. This was their "home" match in Türkiye, the national team playing matches away from their country due to the Russian invasion, and Kalinina's goal gave them something to celebrate.