Women's European Qualifiers for 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup: League stage draw

The Women's European Qualifiers league stage draw has set groups in all three leagues running between February/March and June 2026.

The groups will decide four of UEFA's slots at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil and also determine which 32 teams go into the play-offs between October and December 2026, which will carry seven more direct finals spots plus one place in the inter-confederation play-offs. Also at stake will be promotion and relegation ahead of the next UEFA Women's Nations League.

The European Qualifiers league stage is played in the same format as the UEFA Women's Nations League, with teams split into three leagues: League A with 16 teams, League B with 16 teams and League C with 21 teams. The final composition of the leagues was decided by the 2025 edition of the UEFA Women's Nations League.

WOMEN'S EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS LEAGUE STAGE DRAW

League A

Group A1: Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Serbia

Group A2: France, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Ireland

Group A3: Spain, England, Iceland, Ukraine

Group A4: Germany, Norway, Austria, Slovenia

League B

Group B1: Wales, Czechia, Albania, Montenegro

Group B2: Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Türkiye, Malta

Group B3: Portugal, Finland, Slovakia, Latvia

Group B4: Belgium, Scotland, Israel, Luxembourg

League C

Group C1: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein

Group C2: Croatia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Gibraltar

Group C3: Hungary, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Andorra

Group C4: Greece, Faroe Islands, Georgia

Group C5: Romania, Cyprus, Moldova

Group C6: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia

DATES 

The Women's European Qualifiers league stage will be played, in principle, on the following dates in 2026:

Matchday 1: Tuesday 3 March
Matchday 2: Saturday 7 March
Matchday 3: Tuesday 14 April
Matchday 4: Saturday 18 April
Matchday 5: Friday 5 June
Matchday 6: Tuesday 9 June

Changes to the scheduling may be made within a certain deadline after the draw, provided all associations concerned agree.

QUALIFICATION 

UEFA has been allocated 11 places in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. One additional team may qualify through FIFA's intercontinental play-offs.

At the end of the league phase, group standings and overall league rankings will determine:

Direct qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup 

The four League A group winners.

Qualification and seeding for the European Qualifier play-offs for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. 

Round 1 of the play-offs is played in two paths as follows:

Path 1: The four second-placed teams and four third-placed teams of League A play against the six first-placed teams and two best-ranked second-placed teams of League C.

Path 2: The four fourth-placed teams of League A and four first-placed teams of League B play against the four second-placed teams and four third-placed teams of League B.

In round 1 of the play-offs, the ties are determined by means of a draw.

Path 1: The eight League A teams are seeded and play their second-leg matches at home.

Path 2: The four fourth-placed teams from League A and four first-placed teams from League B are seeded and play their second leg matches at home.

The winners of the round 1 play-offs qualify for the round 2 play-offs.

In round 2 of the play-offs, the ties are determined by means of a draw. The round 1 path 1 ties are seeded for the round 2 draw and the winners of those ties play the round 2 second leg match at home.

The seven best-ranked round 2 play-off winners according to the 2026 Women’s European Qualifiers overall league rankings qualify directly for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The one remaining round 2 play-off winner qualifies for the FIFA Women’s World Cup intercontinental play-offs.

Automatic promotion and relegation for the next competition cycle, 2027-29 

The four group winners in League B and the six group winners in League C will be promoted.

The four fourth-placed teams in Leagues A and B as well as the two lowest-ranked third-placed teams in League B, ranked 27 to 28 in the overall league rankings, will be relegated.

HOW THE DRAW WORKED

WHO IS IN WHICH LEAGUE FOR WOMEN'S EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS? 

For the league stage the 53 teams have been divided into three leagues on the basis of their positions in the overall UEFA Women's Nations League phase rankings.

League A 

1 France
2 Germany
3 Spain
4 Sweden
5 Netherlands
6 England
7 Italy
8 Norway
9 Denmark
10 Austria
11 Iceland
12 Poland
13 Slovenia
14 Serbia
15 Ukraine
16 Republic of Ireland

League B 

17 Belgium
18 Portugal
19 Wales
20 Switzerland
21 Scotland
22 Czechia
23 Finland
24 Northern Ireland
25 Albania
26 Türkiye
27 Slovakia
28 Israel
29 Luxembourg
30 Malta
31 Montenegro
32 Latvia

League C 

33 Bosnia and Herzegovina
34 Hungary
35 Romania
36 Belarus
37 Croatia
38 Greece
39 Cyprus
40 Kosovo
41 Azerbaijan
42 Faroe Islands
43 Kazakhstan
44 Estonia
45 Lithuania
46 Armenia
47 Bulgaria
48 Moldova
49 North Macedonia
50 Georgia
51 Andorra
52 Liechtenstein
53 Gibraltar

WOMEN'S EUROPEAN QUALIFYING DRAW SEEDING: POT ALLOCATION 

League A: 

The 16 teams allocated to League A were divided into four draw pots are follows:

Pot 1 contained the four best-ranked teams, i.e. the teams ranked 1st to 4th. 

1 France
2 Germany
3 Spain
4 Sweden

Pot 2 contained the four teams ranked 5th to 8th. 

5 Netherlands
6 England
7 Italy
8 Norway

Pot 3 contained the four teams ranked 9th to 12th. 

9 Denmark
10 Austria
11 Iceland
12 Poland

Pot 4 contained the four teams ranked 13th to 16th. 

13 Slovenia
14 Serbia
15 Ukraine
16 Republic of Ireland

League B: 

The 16 teams allocated to League B were divided into four draw pots are follows:

Pot 1 contained the four teams ranked 17th to 20th. 

17 Belgium
18 Portugal
19 Wales
20 Switzerland

Pot 2 contained the four teams ranked 21st to 24th. 

21 Scotland
22 Czechia
23 Finland
24 Northern Ireland

Pot 3 contained the four teams ranked 25th to 28th. 

25 Albania
26 Türkiye
27 Slovakia
28 Israel

Pot 4 contained the four teams ranked 29th to 32nd. 

29 Luxembourg
30 Malta
31 Montenegro
32 Latvia

League C: 

The 21 teams allocated to League C were divided into four draw pots are follows:

Pot 1 contained the six teams ranked 33rd to 38th. 

33 Bosnia and Herzegovina
34 Hungary
35 Romania
36 Belarus
37 Croatia
38 Greece

Pot 2 contained the six teams ranked 39th to 44th. 

39 Cyprus
40 Kosovo
41 Azerbaijan
42 Faroe Islands
43 Kazakhstan
44 Estonia

Pot 3 contains the six teams ranked 45th to 50th. 

45 Lithuania
46 Armenia
47 Bulgaria
48 Moldova
49 North Macedonia
50 Georgia

Pot 4 contained the three teams ranked 51st to 53rd. 

51 Andorra
52 Liechtenstein
53 Gibraltar

DRAW CONDITIONS 

Draw conditions applied to prohibited team clashes, winter venue restrictions and excessive travel restrictions. When such a situation occured, or was anticipated to occur, the computer used to assist with the draw indicated the next available group for the drawn team.

It must be noted that the number of options available to the team depended not only on the team's own attributes, and those of the teams already drawn, but also on the attributes of the other teams still to be drawn.

Prohibited team clashes 

Based on the UEFA Executive Committee decisions valid at the time of the draw, the following teams could not be drawn into the same group:

Azerbaijan (League C, Pot 2) and Armenia (League C, Pot 3)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (League C, Pot 1) and Kosovo (League C, Pot 2)

If a clash occured or could occur, the team drawn was placed in the first available group as indicated by the computer.

Three-team groups to four-team groups 

Teams that played in three-team groups in the UEFA Women's Nations League phase were drawn into four-team groups in the Women's European Qualifiers phase wherever possible.

Women's Nations League Group C4: Azerbaijan, Lithuania

Women's Nations League Group C5: Bulgaria, Estonia

Women's Nations League Group C6: Kosovo, North Macedonia

Winter venue restrictions 

A number of countries were identified as venues with high or medium risk of severe winter conditions. In order to minimise the risks of matches being negatively affected or even not being completed or played, a maximum of two such countries could be drawn into the same group

League A: Iceland (Pot 3), Norway (Pot 2), Sweden (Pot 1)

If a team from the winter venues list was or could be drawn into a group which already contained two such teams, the team drawn was placed in the first available group as indicated by the computer.

DRAW PROCEDURE

League C: 

The draw started with League C and Pot 1 which contained six balls. The drawn teams were assigned to the groups in ascending order from C1 to C6, except if a draw condition applied.

• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C1

• A second ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C2

• A third ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C3

• A fourth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C4

• The fifth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C5

• The sixth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C6

The draw continued with Pot 2 and Pot 3 and followed the same rules as described above for Pot 1.

The draw continued with Pot 4, which contained three balls. The drawn teams were assigned to the groups in ascending order from C1 to C3, unless a draw condition applied.

• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C1

• A second ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C2

• A third ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C3

League B: 

The draw continued with League B and Pot 1 which contained four balls. The drawn teams were assigned to the groups in ascending order from B1 to B4, except if a draw condition applied.

• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group B1

• A second ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group B2

• A third ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group B3

• A fourth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group B4

The draw continued with Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4 and followed the same rules as described above for Pot 1.

League A: 

The draw for League A followed the same procedure as for League B (to compose the Group A1, A2, A3 and A4).