Australia and England Seek World Cup Redemption After Mixed Results
Steph Catley walked off the pitch on Saturday with a familiar sting in her chest. A 1-0 home defeat to Mexico in a friendly, and a reminder that the Matildas’ road to the next World Cup will not be smoothed by reputation alone.
“It’s disappointing, but there’s also the realisation that we’re at the very start of a journey towards the World Cup,” she said, framing the setback as a starting point rather than a warning sign.
Four days later, Australia answered.
Foord hits 150 in statement response
On Tuesday, the Matildas flipped the script. Same opponent, very different tone. A 3-1 win over Mexico, fuelled by a captain who refused to let the narrative drift.
Caitlin Foord, wearing the armband and marking her 150th appearance for her country, delivered the kind of goal that sums up her game. Back to goal, defender tight, space at a premium. She rolled her marker with sheer strength, carved out half a yard and slid her finish inside the far post for Australia’s third of the night. Clinical. Relentless.
That strike carried extra weight. It moved Foord into joint-third on Australia’s all-time scoring list with 41 goals, a landmark wrapped inside a performance that underlined her status as one of the Matildas’ standard-bearers.
Catley, who had started the defeat on Saturday, went the full 90 minutes again on Tuesday, anchoring the left side as Australia controlled the contest and, crucially, the mood.
For Foord, the occasion was about more than personal milestones.
“To reach 100 is obviously huge, and for myself, 150 as well,” she said, nodding to the landmark caps for both her and Catley. “It’s nice to enjoy these moments together, and celebrate them, which we have during this series.”
Australia’s journey is still in its early chapters. But this time, the response matched the ambition.
Lionesses win, but route to World Cup gets longer
Across the world, England were also searching for a reset.
At Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Lionesses got exactly what they needed on the scoreboard: a 3-0 win over Ukraine in FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying. Performance first, permutations later.
Alessia Russo led the line and stayed on for the full 90 minutes, central to England’s attacking rhythm. Her sharp work in the final third produced a key contribution as she teed up Georgia Stanway for England’s second goal, a strike that effectively killed the contest.
Chloe Kelly joined the action on 64 minutes, adding fresh legs and direct running out wide, while Lotte Wubben-Moy watched on as an unused substitute.
The result restored momentum but not control of their fate. England finished second in Group C on 15 points, level with Spain and separated only by goal difference. That slim margin means Sarina Wiegman’s side must now navigate the play-offs in October instead of sealing automatic qualification.
“It’s nice to come back to England, play in front of all of our fans and get a win,” Russo said afterwards. The satisfaction came with a sting. “We also wanted to qualify automatically for the World Cup but now we’re going to the play-offs and that’s tough but it’s football. We had the toughest group playing Spain and we won five out of six games and have still not gone through.”
England have done much right. They still need one more step.
Spain surge, Sweden scrap
Spain, by contrast, removed any doubt with a ruthless final flourish.
Mariona Caldentey played the first half of a 6-1 demolition of Iceland on Tuesday, a result that swelled their goal difference and sealed World Cup qualification with authority. It was the kind of performance that underlines why Spain have become one of the most feared sides in the women’s game: relentless, unforgiving, and utterly clear about the job at hand.
Sweden took a different route. Their 2-2 draw at home to Italy was a comeback built on resilience rather than control. Two goals down, they clawed their way back to finish third in Group A with eight points from six games and a place in the play-offs.
Smilla Holmberg and Stina Blackstenius both played the full 90 minutes, part of a side that refused to let the campaign fade with a whimper. The margins were fine, the stakes high, and Sweden are still alive.
North American tests and a German prospect
Across the Atlantic, the United States and Canada were busy tuning up in friendlies.
Emily Fox logged heavy minutes for USA against Brazil, a demanding double-header that offered more questions than comfort. She played the full 90 in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat away to Brazil, then started again on Wednesday, this time featuring for the first half of a 1-0 win against the same opponents on Brazilian soil. A loss, then a response — a familiar theme of this international window.
Canada, meanwhile, flexed their attacking muscles. Olivia Smith played 63 minutes in a commanding 6-0 away win over Costa Rica on Wednesday, a scoreline that spoke to their depth and cutting edge in the final third.
Further down the pathway, Germany’s under-23s offered a glimpse of the next wave. Anneke Borbe came on at half-time in a 2-2 friendly draw at home to Denmark on Monday, another step in a young goalkeeper’s progression on a stage that increasingly mirrors the intensity of senior football.
From veterans chasing World Cup certainty to prospects feeling their way into international football, this window laid out the stakes clearly. The margins are brutal. The journeys are only just getting interesting.
