England, Italy and Sweden won the opening legs of their first-round European play-offs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, FIFA reports. England beat Greece 3-1, Italy defeated Belarus 2-0 and Sweden overcame Lithuania 5-0, with Felicia Schröder scoring a hat-trick. The Netherlands also beat Hungary 8-0 as Lineth Beerensteyn and Victoria Pelova each scored three. These results provide advantages in two-legged ties; the first-round winners must still negotiate another play-off round.