Women's European Qualifiers for 2027 World Cup Matchday 1: Spain, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden all win

The Women's European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup began on Tuesday, with reigning champions Spain and UEFA Women's EURO 2025 winners England among those off to winning starts in League A.

The four League A group winners will qualify automatically for the finals in Brazil. Along with England and Spain, there were opening victories for Denmark, France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, while Poland drew 2-2 with the Netherlands.

Thirty-two nations will also progress to the play-offs at the end of the year (12 each from League A and League B, and eight from League C), competing for seven more spots in Brazil, and a further berth in the inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027.

Promotion and relegation is also at stake ahead of the next UEFA Women's Nations League.

League A

Group A1

Denmark 3-1 Serbia 

Pernille Harder marked ten years as Denmark captain by converting a penalty that wrapped up a comfortable win against League A newcomers Serbia. Sofie Bredgaard gave the home side a 13th-minute lead with a cool finish after Mille Gejl dummied a pass from Harder.

Bredgaard soon turned provider, teeing up Amalie Vangsgaard to produce a powerful finish. Serbia pulled one back in the 40th minute when Allegra Poljak set up Sara Stokić to find the roof of the net, but Denmark's all-time leading scorer Harder restored the two-goal cushion from the penalty spot midway through the second period.

Sofie Bredgaard (No14) celebrates her opener for Denmark against Serbia with Sofia SvavaRitzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima

Italy 0-1 Sweden

Filippa Angeldahl's goal midway through the first half proved decisive as Sweden picked up all three points away to Women's EURO 2025 semi-finalists Italy.

Teenager Bella Andersson caught the eye on her international debut in the Sweden defence and it was her Real Madrid club-mate Angeldahl put the visitors ahead in the 22nd minute from just outside the box. Italy pushed in search of a second-half equaliser, with Michela Cambiaghi hitting the post just after the hour mark, but Sweden held on for victory.

Group A2

Republic of Ireland 1-2 France

Substitute Melvine Malard scored twice in nine second-half minutes as France came from behind to win in Dublin. Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe gave the hosts an early lead after good build-up play from Emily Murphy, who set her captain up to slot in from close range.

The visitors eventually found a way past a strong home defence when Malard made an immediate impact off the bench, receiving a neat pass from Sandy Baltimore and finding space in the box to score in the 71st minute. The Manchester United forward then completed the comeback with her second not long after.

Melvine Malard came off the bench to score twice and give France a 2-1 win in DublinAFP via Getty Images

Poland 2-2 Netherlands 

Paulina Tomasiak's late equaliser secured a point for a Poland side aiming to follow last year's Women's EURO finals debut with a World Cup bow. The home side hit the crossbar early on in Gdansk through Tanja Pawollek, who in the 24th minute provided the pass for Ewa Pajor to power through and shoot in.

The Netherlands came into the game later and struck either side of the break to go ahead, Veerle Buurman volleying an equaliser and Jill Roord shooting in on the turn. Pajor hit the crossbar and Poland got their leveller with six minutes left when Ewelina Kamczyk's through ball found Tomasiak, who rounded Lize Kop and ultimately ensured a point on a night when Martyna Wiankowska won her 100th cap.

Group A3

Ukraine 1-6 England

Alessia Russo, Georgia Stanway and Jess Park each scored two apiece as the European champions overcame a sluggish start to win in Antalya. Ukraine, making their League A debut in their first game under new coach Iya Andrushchak, frustrated the 2023 World Cup runners-up until two minutes into the second half when Keira Walsh sent Russo through on goal.

Russo had another four minutes later, turning in Lauren Hemp's low centre though Ukraine pulled one back just before the hour through Yana Kalinina after a free-kick was only half-cleared. Stanway restored the cushion from the penalty spot and added another six minutes later with a powerful strike. The midfielder then created the fifth for Park, who claimed a double of her own late on when she looped in a shot.

Alessia Russo (left) and Jess Park scored two apiece for England against UkraineGetty Images

Spain 3-0 Iceland 

Edna Imade's first international goal added to Clàudia Pina's double to secure an opening win for the Women's World Cup holders and Women's EURO 2025 runners-up. Pina got the first with a stunning strike from just outside the Iceland box, then ran on to a long ball from Mariona Caldentey (earning her 100th cap), weaved through the visitors' defence and struck emphatically into the roof of the net for her second.

Cecilía Rúnarsdóttir's impressive reflexes prevented the world champions from extending their lead, but the Iceland goalkeeper couldn't keep out Imade's towering header from Ona Batlle's cross for Spain's third.

Group A4

Germany 5-0 Slovenia 

Germany produced a fine display against Slovenia, making their League A debut after consecutive promotions, and led inside six minutes when Vivien Endemann was played through by Linda Dallmann, advanced and beat Zala Meršnik. Six minutes later Elisa Senss doubled the lead with a curling shot inside the area.

Dallmann got the third early in the second period from a tight angle and then half-time substitute Larissa Mühlhaus scored eight minutes into her Germany debut, sliding in to volley the fourth when a Sjoeke Nüsken effort spun up off a defender. Lea Schüller was brought on and within five minutes she too had a goal after being played in by Endemann in a quick free-kick move.

Lea Schüller celebrates putting Germany 5-0 up against SloveniaGetty Images

Austria 0-1 Norway

Lisa Naalsund's late goal ensured Norway got their campaign off to a winning start in Maria Enzersdorf.

The Women's EURO 2025 quarter-finalists came up against a resilient Austria defence, but eventually broke through in the 81st minute when Julie Blakstad's curling cross into the box was tapped in by Manchester United midfielder Naalsund from close range.

League B

The top three in each group advance to the play-offs and Switzerland, aiming to build on their Women's EURO 2025 quarter-final run, defeated Northern Ireland 2-0. In a meeting between two side that competed at last summer's finals, Portugal scored two added-time goals and then saved a penalty to beat Finland 2-0.

Of the other two Women's EURO qualifiers involved in League B, Belgium beat Israel 3-0 aided by Tessa Wullaert's 98th international goal, and Wales equalised in added time to draw 2-2 in Czechia. Elsewhere, Caroline Weir's hat-trick helped Scotland win 5-0 in Luxembourg.

Group B1
Montenegro 1-2 Albania 
Czechia 2-2 Wales

Group B2
Türki̇ye 3-0 Malta
Switzerland 2-0 Northern Ireland

Group B3
Slovakia 3-2 Latvia 
Portugal 2-0 Finland 

Group B4
Luxembourg 0-5 Scotland 
Israel 0-3 Belgium

Portugal celebrate Lucia Alves (centre) giving them an added-time lead against FinlandGetty Images

League C

The group winners and two best-ranked runners-up will enter the play-offs and there were opening victories for Lithuania (Rimantė Jonušaitė getting four of their goals), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Greece, Romania and Kazakhstan. Andorra, meanwhile, held Hungary 0-0 despite the visitors having 29 shots on goal.

Group C1
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Estonia 
Liechtenstein 1-6 Lithuania

Group C2
Bulgaria 0-1 Croatia
Kosovo 6-0 Gibraltar 

Group C3
Azerbaijan 2-0 North Macedonia
Andorra 0-0 Hungary 

Group C4
Greece 3-0 Georgia

Group C5
Romania 1-0 Moldova

Group C6
Kazakhstan 3-0 Armenia