Women's European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup: How it works, who is in what league?

The Women's European Qualifiers will run from February to December 2026 and decide the UEFA teams earning places at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, as well as promotion and relegation ahead of the next edition of the 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 draw was on Tuesday 4 November.

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

How the leagues were formed

Each team's starting league position is determined based on the results of the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League. While 12 teams in League A, ten in League B and 19 in League C were known following the conclusion of the league stage, two-legged ties running from 22 to 29 October determined the remaining slots, with four deciding potential further promotion and relegation between Leagues A and B, and two for movement between Leagues B and C.

Women's World Cup qualifying

League phase

In qualifying, as per the Nations League league stage, teams compete in groups of four or three (League C) and over six matchdays between February and June 2026, with each team playing one home match and one away match against all the other teams in their group.

For qualifying itself, the winners of each League A group will gain automatic places in Brazil. The remaining seven direct spots in Brazil, and a further berth in the inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027, will be decided by two rounds of play-offs in October and November/December 2026.

Play-offs

Round 1

Round 1 of the play-offs is in two paths.

Path 1

The teams finishing second and third in League A groups will play the six group winners and two best-ranked runners-up in League C.

The teams from League A will be seeded and play the second legs at home. The eight winners progress to round 2.

Path 2

The four fourth-placed League A teams and four League B group winners will be drawn into eight ties against the teams finishing second and third in the League B groups.

The teams from League A and the League B group winners will be seeded and play the second legs at home. The eight winners progress to round 2.

Round 2

In round 2, the teams from both paths come together and will be drawn into eight ties, with seeding for the round 1 path 1 winners, who will be at home in the second leg.

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 World Cup inter-confederation play-offs. The European contenders will directly enter the inter-confederation play-offs in the second phase in February 2027.

Promotion and relegation

Promotion and relegation will also be at stake ahead of the next UEFA Women's Nations League, beginning the 2027–29 competition cycle, leading to UEFA Women's EURO 2029:

• The winners, runners-up and third-placed teams of League A stay in League A

• The runners-up and two best third-placed teams in League B stay in League B

• The runners-up, third-placed and fourth-placed teams in League C stay in League C

• The group winners of Leagues B and C will be promoted to the next league

• All fourth-placed teams in Leagues A and B, as well as the two lowest-ranked third-placed teams in League B, will be relegated to the next league.

Who is in which league?

League A

League A group winners
France
Germany
Spain
Sweden

League A runners-up
Netherlands
England
Italy
Norway

League A third place (won play-off vs League B runners-up)
Denmark
Austria
Iceland

Promoted from League B (group winners unless stated)
Poland
Slovenia
Serbia
Ukraine
Republic of Ireland*
*League B runner-up, won play-off against League A third-place finisher

League B

Relegated from League A (fourth place unless stated)
Belgium*
Portugal
Wales
Switzerland
Scotland
*League A third place, lost play-off against League B runner-up

League B runners-up (lost play-off vs League A third place)
Czechia
Finland
Northern Ireland

League B third place (won play-off vs League C best two runners-up) 
Albania
Türkiye

Promoted from League C (group winners)
Slovakia
Israel
Luxembourg
Malta
Montenegro
Latvia

League C

Relegated from League B (fourth place and two lowest-ranked third place)
Bosnia and Herzegovina*
Hungary*
Romania
Belarus
Croatia
Greece
*Third and fourth-best third-placed team

League C runners-up
Cyprus*
Kosovo*
Azerbaijan
Faroe Islands
Kazakhstan
Estonia
*Lost play-offs against two highest-ranked League B third-place finishers

League C third and fourth place
Lithuania
Armenia
Bulgaria
Moldova
North Macedonia
Georgia
Andorra
Liechtenstein
Gibraltar