England Handed Nightmare 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Path

England were handed a nightmare 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying group against Spain, Iceland and Ukraine. 

Sarina Wiegman’s reigning European champions will meet Spain in a rematch of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2025 UEFA Women’s Euro Finals in League A3, having lost the former final but prevailed on penalties in the latter this summer.

Iceland and Ukraine are also in that group meaning that England’s clashes against Spain could well determine who tops the group.

Republic of Ireland are in a nightmare League A2 group with France, Netherlands and Poland.

Wales will face Czech Republic, Albania and Montenegro in League B1, whilst Northern Ireland were placed in League B2 with Switzerland, Turkey and Malta.

Scotland are in League B4 with Belgium, Israel and Luxembourg.

Only those who top their League A groups will automatically qualify for the World Cup whilst those who finish second to fourth are guaranteed play-off spots alongside the top two finishers in each League B group plus two best third-placed finishers.

In League C, the group winners will too progress to the play-offs alongside the two best second-placed teams in that tier.

Those who win their League B and League C groups will also secure promotion to Leagues A and B respectively for the 2027 UEFA Women’s Nations League, whilst those who finish bottom in Leagues A and B will be relegated to Leagues B and C respectively.

The league phase qualifiers will be played between 3 March – 9 June 2026, with play-offs held across two rounds between 7-13 October then 26 November – 5 December respectively.

League A

League A1	League A2	League A3	League A4
Sweden	France	Spain	Germany
Italy	Netherlands	England	Norway
Denmark	Poland	Iceland	Austria
Serbia	Republic of Ireland	Ukraine	Slovenia

 

League B

League B1	League B2	League B3	League B4
Wales	Switzerland	Portugal	Belgium
Czech Republic	Northern Ireland	Finland	Scotland
Albania	Turkey	Slovakia	Israel
Montenegro	Malta	Latvia	Luxembourg

 

League C

League C1	League C2	League C3	League C4	League C5	League C6
Bosnia & Herzegovina	Croatia	Hungary	Greece	Romania	Belarus
Estonia	Kosovo	Azerbaijan	Faroe Islands	Cyprus	Kazakhstan
Lithuania	Bulgaria	North Macedonia	Georgia	Moldova	Armenia
Liechtenstein	Gibraltar	Andorra