Women's European Qualifiers for 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup: Matchdays 1 and 2 preview
Monday, March 2, 2026
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We preview the first two sets of fixtures in the UEFA Women's European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
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The league stage of the Women's European Qualifiers kicks off on Tuesday 3 March, with a further set of games played four days later.
Four direct qualification spots for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil will be decided by League A's conclusion on 9 June, and 32 slots in the autumn play-offs are also on offer across all three leagues.
The teams will likewise be competing for promotion and relegation ahead of the next edition of the UEFA Women's Nations League.
Women's European Qualifiers league stage groups
All times CET
League A
Group A1
Tuesday 3 March
Denmark vs Serbia (18:00)
Italy vs Sweden (18:15)
Saturday 7 March
Serbia vs Sweden (16:00)
Italy vs Denmark (18:15)
Sweden, Italy and Denmark were separated by just three points in their 2025 Women's Nations League group and this section has the same unpredictability.
Italy only picked up one Women's Nations League point in total at home to Denmark and Sweden last year, but their subsequent Women's EURO 2025 semi-final run reflected their ability. Denmark are looking to qualify for a second consecutive Women's World Cup after ending their 16-year absence from the finals in 2023, but they open their campaign without the injured Emma Snerle, Anna Walter and Karen Holmgaard.
Serbia are aiming for a major tournament debut after earning their first promotion to League A. Prolific striker Nina Matejić spearheads their attack and, on Matchday 2, her side will face a Sweden defence with a new look, following the international retirements of Magdalena Eriksson and Linda Sembrant. Sweden coach Tony Gustavsson, who is missing Amanda Ilestedt and Nathalie Björn, has said he wants to give a wide range of players experience, having begun his reign with a fourth-place finish in the Women's Nations League finals last autumn.
Group A2
Tuesday 3 March
Poland vs Netherlands (18:00)
Republic of Ireland vs France (19:30)
Saturday 7 March
Netherlands vs Republic of Ireland (20:45)
France vs Poland (21:10)
With France and the Netherlands not meeting each other until their April double-header, the two top seeds face a pair of promoted nations in the opening matches. Women's Nations League bronze medallists France will not underestimate the Republic of Ireland, who beat them 3-1 during Women's EURO 2025 qualifying in Cork – although Les Bleues were already assured of a place in the finals at that stage.
Ireland defeated Belgium in last autumn's play-offs to earn promotion to League A, while Poland laid down a marker last year by making their Women's EURO finals debut and achieving a historic first win in the tournament with a 3-2 victory over Denmark. In October, Poland drew 0-0 against the Netherlands in Arjan Veurink's first game as Oranje Leeuwinnen coach, following his switch from being Sarina Wiegman's assistant coach for three consecutive Women's EURO triumphs with the Netherlands and England.
Group A3
Tuesday 3 March
Ukraine vs England (18:00)
Spain vs Iceland (19:00)
Saturday 7 March
England vs Iceland (13:30)
Ukraine vs Spain (18:00)
England and Spain, who contested the finals of Women's EURO 2025 and the 2023 Women's World Cup, will rekindle their rivalry when they meet at Wembley on Matchday 3 – but first they face two nations aiming for debuts at the global tournament. Iceland have suffered a succession of near misses in their attempts to reach a first Women's World Cup, despite qualifying for the last five Women's EUROs.
Newly appointed Ukraine coach Iya Andrushchak, capped more than 50 times as a player, is relishing their two upcoming matches against sides she calls "giants of world football". One of those giants, Spain, retained their Women's Nations League title without conceding a goal during the finals in Sonia Bermúdez's first four games in charge last autumn.
La Roja, who are without Aitana Bonmatí and Cata Coll, now turn their attention to defending their Women's World Cup crown. Women's EURO 2025 champions England also have key players Beth Mead and Ella Toone missing, but both sides still boast strong squads to challenge Iceland and Ukraine.
Group A4
Tuesday 3 March
Germany vs Slovenia (17:45)
Austria vs Norway (18:00)
Saturday 7 March
Norway vs Germany (18:00)
Slovenia vs Austria (19:00)
Two-time world champions Germany reached the Women's EURO 2025 semi-finals and the Women's Nations League final last year, but their wait for a first major title since 2016 continues. They have won all four meetings with their first visitors Slovenia, scoring 27 unanswered goals, but Saša Kolman's squad are a transformed force from those contests in the 2010s, having achieved two consecutive promotions to reach League A.
Austria will be aiming to make amends for missing out on Women's EURO 2025 but can take confidence from a strong recent record against Norway and having beaten Slovenia 5-1 on aggregate in the first round of the Women's EURO 2025 qualifying play-offs, before losing to Poland in the second round.
Norway face Austria in their opener ahead of a first competitive meeting with Germany since 2015, resuming a longstanding rivalry from the finals of four Women's EUROs – all won by Germany – and the 1995 Women's World Cup, which Norway won.
League B
League B groups
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
The top three teams in each group will progress to the play-offs, while each section winner will be promoted to League A for the next Women's Nations League. Games to look out for on the opening two matchdays include the Group B1 encounter between Czechia and Wales, Switzerland taking on Northern Ireland in Group B2 and Portugal facing Finland in Group B3.
Belgium and Scotland will also look to make strong Group B4 starts ahead of their crucial April double-header. Latvia, Luxembourg and Montenegro, meanwhile, are all in League B for the first time.
League C
League C groups
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
There are eight play-off spots on offer for the six group winners and two best runners-up. The group winners will also earn promotion, with the example of Slovenia rising from League C to League A in the space of two cycles providing inspiration.
When are the Women's European Qualifiers league stage games played?
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
How does FIFA Women's World Cup qualification work?
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 will be contested in two paths as follows:
Path 1: the four second-placed teams and four third-placed teams of League A will 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 will play against the four second-placed teams and four third-placed teams of League B.
In round 1 of the play-offs, the ties will be determined by means of a draw.
Path 1: the eight League A teams will be 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 will be 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 will be seeded for the round 2 draw and the winners of those ties will play their 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 will qualify directly for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The one remaining round 2 play-off winner will qualify 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.