Chelsea Players Shine and Struggle in World Cup Qualifiers
Sarina Wiegman stacked her England XI with Chelsea blue in Mallorca. Hannah Hampton in goal, Lucy Bronze on the right of defence, Keira Walsh with the armband in midfield, Lauren James leading the charge up front. Four starters, big responsibility, top of Group A3 and four World Cup qualifying wins behind them.
Spain tore that comfort to pieces.
Patri Guijarro struck first, Alexia Putellas followed before the interval, and the world champions walked off at half-time two goals clear and in complete control. England, who had arrived looking like a side in rhythm, suddenly looked a step slow everywhere that mattered.
The pressure did not ease after the break. Putellas added her second on 55 minutes, a finish that underlined the gulf in sharpness and ruthlessness. When Claudia Pina came off the bench and whipped in a fourth soon after, the contest turned from a test into a statement from Spain.
From a Chelsea perspective, it was a mixed, bruising watch. Hampton stayed in for the full 90, exposed too often but battling to keep the scoreline from spiralling. Walsh, captain for the night, also completed the game, trying to stem a tide that kept coming in waves. James’ evening ended on 59 minutes, her threat largely smothered by a Spanish back line that read her movements well. Bronze, meanwhile, made way late on for fellow Chelsea defender Niamh Charles. Aggie Beever-Jones did not make the match-day squad.
England walked away with questions. Spain walked away with another reminder of why they wear the world crown.
Nüsken leads Germany to World Cup ticket
For Sjoeke Nüsken, the night could hardly have been more different.
Handed the captain’s armband for Germany against Norway in Group A4, the Chelsea midfielder oversaw the kind of controlled, decisive performance that books plane tickets. Germany knew victory over their closest rivals would secure their place at next year’s World Cup in Brazil. They played like a team intent on finishing the job early.
Marie Muller opened the scoring inside 20 minutes, settling any nerves. Carlotta Wamser doubled the lead soon after, and while Norway carved out chances, Germany never truly loosened their grip. They managed the game, managed the moments, and closed out a win that confirms their spot at the tournament with authority to spare.
Nüsken, skipper for the night, left with both a result and a role that underlines her growing stature on the international stage.
Cuthbert’s brilliant night for Scotland ends in worry
Erin Cuthbert delivered the kind of all-action performance that defines her. Goals, assists, relentless energy. Then came the sight nobody in Scotland wanted to see: the Chelsea midfielder leaving on a stretcher in stoppage time.
Until that moment, she had been at the heart of a ruthless 6-0 World Cup qualifying demolition of Israel.
Cuthbert opened the scoring on 17 minutes with a strike worthy of a highlight reel. Collecting the ball around 20 yards out, she stepped into space on the edge of the box and drove a fine finish into the net, setting the tone for the night.
She shifted from scorer to creator after the break. First, the pass that allowed Caroline Weir to grab her second of the game and Scotland’s third. Then, once Weir had completed her hat-trick, Cuthbert threaded another telling ball for Lauren Davidson to add to the tally.
Kirsty Hanson piled on further punishment, and the scoreline swelled. The only blemish came in the final moments, when an innocuous-looking challenge left Cuthbert down and needing lengthy treatment before she was carried off. The performance had been outstanding. The ending left a knot in the stomach, with club and country both waiting for news.
Baltimore strikes for France, Kaneryd scores in defeat
Chelsea’s influence stretched across Europe on a busy night of qualifiers.
In France’s 2-0 win away to Poland, Sandy Baltimore produced a moment of pure quality. The visitors had been made to wait, Poland holding firm until Melvine Malard finally broke through early in the second half. Once the resistance cracked, Baltimore stepped forward.
Just after the hour, the winger slipped free of her marker, exchanged a sharp one-two with Malard and burst into the box. One composed, confident finish later, France had the cushion they wanted and a victory sealed with style.
In Denmark, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd also found the net, but her goal could not salvage a result for Sweden. Cecilie Floe had given Denmark the lead before the break, only for Rytting Kaneryd to pounce from close range early in the second half and drag Sweden level. The momentum seemed to be turning.
Then Pernille Harder intervened. The former Chelsea forward, so often decisive, struck in the 65th minute to restore Denmark’s advantage. Sweden pushed, but Harder’s goal stood as the winner in a tight 2-1 contest.
Peng anchors Swiss surge, Dutch duo suffer late heartbreak
Chelsea goalkeeper Livia Peng enjoyed a far more comfortable evening between the posts. She played the full 90 minutes as Switzerland dismantled Malta 6-1 in World Cup qualifying, a result that keeps the Swiss three points clear of Turkey at the top of their group after five matches. The scoreline told its own story: dominance, control, and a campaign firmly on track.
For Veerle Buurman and Wieke Kaptein with the Netherlands, the night cut the other way.
Both started in Cork against the Republic of Ireland, only to watch a wild, swinging contest slip away at the death. Kyra Carusa put Ireland in front, but the Dutch stayed in the fight and were rewarded when Dominique Janssen levelled with 20 minutes to play.
The reprieve lasted seconds. Abbie Larkin immediately restored Ireland’s lead, only for Victoria Pelova to haul the Netherlands back once more with ten minutes left. At that point, a draw felt inevitable.
Amber Barrett had other ideas. As the clock ticked down and the game seemed to be drifting towards a share of the points, she reacted quickest in the box, prodding home from close range to condemn the Netherlands to a 3-2 defeat.
Across Europe, Chelsea’s players found themselves at the heart of decisive moments: some triumphant, some painful, some leaving more questions than answers as the road to the World Cup tightens.
