The Lionesses will face Greece in their first play-off games for the 2027 World Cup. Despite not qualifying for the World Cup previously, Greece have won their last four qualifier matches, where they faced Georgia and the Faroe Islands. But what should England fans expect from Greece, who are currently ranked 59th in the FIFA world rankings?
Defenders
A key member of the Greece squad is their goalkeeper Dimitra Giannakouli, who currently has 16 caps and is one of the most experienced members of the squad. Giannakouli plays her club football for AEK Athens F.C, who were the first Greek club to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Giannakouli plays alongside several of her national teammates at club level too, such as defender Maria Kapnisi and forward Sofia Kongouli.
Greece’s most experienced defender is 26-year old Maria Palama, who has made 39 appearances for Greece and is currently playing her club football for Budapest. Maria Paterna is another experienced defender, with 33 caps, and Giannakouli, Palama and Paterna will likely be key players for England to be wary of, with their experience in defence for their country.
Midfielders and Forwards
Eleni Markou is Greece’s captain and she will be another key player when they face England. The midfielder currently plays for Frankfurt and has played for her country 74 times, scoring nine goals. Fans of the WSL2 may also recognise another key figure in Greece’s midfield, with Birmingham City’s Veatriki Sarri bringing plenty of experience and attacking quality, having scored 11 goals in 63 appearances for the Blues. Sarri has spent most of her footballing career with England and has enjoyed two spells at Birmingham City, as well as playing for Brighton and Everton. She is one of Greece’s key players as an attacking midfielder and her most recent international goal came against the Faroe Islands in March 2026. Finally, Greece’s most capped player is Sofia Kongouli with 93 caps. During her appearances for her national team, the forward has scored 25 goals.
What can England fans expect?
Greece’s recent results in the World Cup qualifying stages suggest that they will pose an attacking threat to the Lionesses, scoring at least two goals in each of their qualifiers so far. However, Greece previously struggled in the Women’s Nations League and lost their games against Turkey, Slovenia and the Republic of Ireland. This sets up an exciting fixture for England, with both teams needing to secure their World Cup qualification.
England will face Greece in a home-and-away double-header in October 2026, travelling to Greece on 9 October before hosting the return fixture four days later on 13 October.
