Women’s World Cup 2027 Qualifiers: European Play-Off Results and Round Two Fixtures

The first round of European play-offs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup is complete, leaving 16 teams competing for the remaining European qualification places.

The race to reach the 2027 Women’s World Cup has taken another step forward, with the first round of European play-offs now complete.

England secured their progression with a commanding 8-1 aggregate victory over Greece, while Sweden recorded the biggest win of the round, defeating Lithuania 15-0 across the two legs.

Elsewhere, Poland defeated Belgium on penalties, while the Netherlands, Norway and the Republic of Ireland advanced with convincing aggregate wins.

With 16 teams remaining, attention now turns to the second round, where seven nations will secure a direct place at next summer’s tournament and one more will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Here is every first-round result, the final aggregate scores and all eight second-round fixtures.

Women’s World Cup 2027 Qualifiers: European Play-Off Results

The first round consisted of 16 two-legged ties, with the winners advancing to round two.

First-round results and aggregate scores

Source: FIFA’s official review of the European qualifying play-off second legs

England Beat Greece to Set Up Ukraine Play-Off

England booked their place in the second round with a convincing 5-0 victory over Greece in Leicester, completing an 8-1 aggregate win.

The Lionesses had already established a 3-1 advantage in the first leg and strengthened their position with another dominant performance on home soil.

Their progression keeps England in contention for Brazil 2027, with Ukraine standing between the Lionesses and the next step in their qualifying campaign.

England will face Ukraine over two legs in the second round, with the tie scheduled to take place between 26 November and 5 December.

Ukraine progressed after defeating Slovakia 4-1 on aggregate, winning 3-1 away from home before completing the job with a 1-0 victory in the return leg.

The winner of the tie will advance in the qualifying process, with seven of the eight round-two winners qualifying directly for the World Cup and the remaining winner entering the inter-confederation play-offs.

Key Results and Talking Points from Round One

Sweden lead the way with 15 goals

Sweden produced the most emphatic aggregate victory of the first round, defeating Lithuania 15-0 across the two matches.

After winning the opening leg 5-0, they followed it up with a remarkable 10-0 victory at home.

Felicia Schroder scored five senior international goals across the tie, underlining Sweden’s attacking strength as they aim to return to the World Cup.

Poland win a dramatic shoot-out

The closest contest came between Belgium and Poland.

Belgium took a 1-0 advantage into the second leg, but Poland fought back to win 3-2 after extra time, levelling the tie at 3-3 on aggregate.

The match was ultimately decided by penalties, with Poland prevailing 4-3 to secure their place in round two.

They will now face the Republic of Ireland in another crucial two-legged contest.

The Netherlands and Norway impress

The Netherlands defeated Hungary 11-0 on aggregate, while Norway overcame Romania 8-0.

Both sides progressed without conceding in either second leg, joining Sweden among the teams who demonstrated their attacking quality and defensive resilience throughout the opening round.

Women’s World Cup 2027 Qualifiers: Round Two Fixtures

The second round will feature eight two-legged ties, with all 16 remaining nations still in contention for a place at the World Cup.

The ties are scheduled to take place between 26 November and 5 December 2026, with the exact match dates and kick-off times to be confirmed.

The first team listed in each tie will host the opening leg, while the second team will play the return fixture at home.

That means England will travel to Ukraine for the first leg before hosting the decisive second match.

How European Qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup Works

Europe has 11 places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Four nations have already qualified directly after winning their League A groups during the European qualifying league phase: Denmark, France, Germany and reigning European champions Spain.

The play-offs will determine the remaining qualification places.

The seven best-ranked winners from the second round, based on the overall 2026 Women's European Qualifiers league rankings, will qualify directly for the World Cup.

The remaining winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027, giving them another opportunity to reach the finals.

It means winning a tie is not necessarily enough to guarantee direct qualification. Teams must also finish among the seven highest-ranked round-two winners.

When and Where Is the 2027 Women’s World Cup?

The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will take place in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027.

The tournament will bring together the world’s leading international sides, with European nations continuing to battle for the remaining places.

For England, the immediate task is clear: overcome Ukraine and take another step towards Brazil.

For the other 15 teams, the second round offers the same opportunity and the pressure will only increase as the qualification race reaches its decisive stage.

With seven direct places and one inter-confederation play-off spot available, every goal across the next two legs could prove crucial.