How Europe fills its last places for Brazil in the Women's World Cup 2027 qualifying play-offs
Thirty-two European teams are now playing for the last seven direct places that UEFA has left for the 2027 Women's World Cup. The Women's World Cup 2027 qualifying play-offs began on October 7, 2026, with round one running until October 13, and the survivors meet again between November 26 and December 5. Germany, Denmark, Spain and France already have their tickets to Brazil.
The history behind the format is short and instructive. At the 2023 tournament the only two European debutants, the Republic of Ireland and Portugal, both arrived through the back door rather than as group winners. The play-offs have a record of producing first-timers, and this year seven places are on offer instead of two.
How the play-offs work
UEFA has 11 places in the finals. Four were settled in the league phase, where the League A group winners (Germany, Denmark, Spain and France) qualified directly. The other seven go to the best-ranked of the eight round two winners, and the eighth drops into the inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027.
Round one is split into two paths. Path 1 sets the League A runners-up and third-placed teams against the League C group winners and the two best League C runners-up. Path 2 pairs the League A fourth-placed teams and the League B group winners against the League B runners-up and third-placed teams. Seeded sides host the second leg.
| Path | Tie | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Lithuania v Sweden |
| 1 | 2 | Romania v Norway |
| 1 | 3 | Greece v England |
| 1 | 4 | Croatia v Iceland |
| 1 | 5 | Kazakhstan v Republic of Ireland |
| 1 | 6 | Kosovo v Austria |
| 1 | 7 | Hungary v Netherlands |
| 1 | 8 | Belarus v Italy |
| 2 | 9 | Albania v Wales |
| 2 | 10 | Turkey v Slovenia |
| 2 | 11 | Slovakia v Ukraine |
| 2 | 12 | Israel v Switzerland |
| 2 | 13 | Belgium v Poland |
| 2 | 14 | Czech Republic v Scotland |
| 2 | 15 | Northern Ireland v Portugal |
| 2 | 16 | Finland v Serbia |
Round two then pairs a Path 1 winner with a Path 2 winner in eight two-legged ties, with the Path 1 side hosting the second leg. Aggregate score decides each tie, followed by extra time and a penalty shootout if needed. England and the Republic of Ireland play their first legs on October 9 and their return legs on October 13, while Italy host Belarus on October 13.
What the 2023 play-offs taught us
The 2023 route was harsher in structure and kinder in outcome. Nine group winners qualified directly, the nine runners-up entered single-leg knockout rounds, and only two places were on offer. Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland took them, and Portugal went on to win the inter-confederation play-offs in New Zealand in February 2023.
The three European winners were ranked on a points system that counted only results against the stronger teams in each group, and the margins were small.
| Team | Ranking points | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 22 | Direct place |
| Republic of Ireland | 20 | Direct place |
| Portugal | 19 | Inter-confederation play-offs, then qualified |
One point separated Ireland, who went to their first World Cup, from Portugal, who needed an extra step to reach theirs. That gap is the best argument for the new format. Two-legged ties are fairer to the better team, and the seeding rewards the league phase.
Europe's weight in the women's game
European sides have won four of the nine Women's World Cups so far. Norway lifted the trophy in 1995, Germany won in 2003 and 2007, and Spain took the 2023 title against England. Counted another way, European teams have filled 9 of the 18 final places across the nine tournaments.
That depth explains the pressure on the play-offs. Eleven direct places plus one inter-confederation chance means that up to 12 European teams could reach Brazil, the same number that made the trip to Australia and New Zealand in 2023, when 11 came through UEFA qualifying and Portugal through the play-offs. That would be up to 12 of the 32 places in 2027.
Who could be the next debutant?
The draw has opened a path for sides who have never played at a Women's World Cup. Wales meet Albania and Northern Ireland face Portugal, and neither Wales nor Northern Ireland has ever reached the finals. Winning round one would put them one tie from history. Scotland, who made their debut in 2019, face the Czech Republic in the same path as Wales.
Portugal and the Republic of Ireland arrive as the 2023 debutants who must now prove it was not a one-off. Both face opponents they will expect to beat, Northern Ireland and Kazakhstan, but a two-legged tie leaves little room for complacency.
What comes next
The calendar is tight. Round one ends on October 13, round two plays out between November 26 and December 5, and the inter-confederation play-offs follow in February 2027. The finals run from June 24 to July 25, 2027, the first Women's World Cup ever held in South America.
In our view, the back door has been generous to Europe's newcomers, and with seven places open instead of two, at least one new nation is likely to appear on the 2027 list. The question is whether it will be a surprise or a team we have watched knock on the door for years.
Explore more in the archive, from the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand to the full World Cup archive.
Carlos Ramón
Football historian and editorial director of Historical Soccer. Specialist in World Cup history, classic tactics, and iconic matches.
