The first legs of the 2027 Women’s World Cup European qualifying play-offs took place on Friday 9 October, with the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland recording 8-0 victories, England beating Greece 3-1 and Scotland securing a 2-0 win away to Czechia.
All 32 nations involved in the opening play-off round were in action, with 16 ties now halfway complete. Sweden, Portugal, Iceland and Switzerland also established substantial advantages, while Wales claimed a narrow 1-0 victory in Albania.
The second legs will take place on Tuesday 13 October, when the 16 teams progressing to the final European play-off round will be determined. Learn everything on the Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifying results here.
All Women’s World Cup 2027 European play-off first-leg results
| Fixture | Result |
|---|---|
| Kazakhstan vs Republic of Ireland | 0-8 |
| Israel vs Switzerland | 3-7 |
| Finland vs Serbia | 3-1 |
| Kosovo vs Austria | 1-2 |
| Albania vs Wales | 0-1 |
| Türkiye vs Slovenia | 3-3 |
| Slovakia vs Ukraine | 1-3 |
| Lithuania vs Sweden | 0-5 |
| Belarus vs Italy | 0-2 |
| Greece vs England | 1-3 |
| Croatia vs Iceland | 0-4 |
| Romania vs Norway | 0-2 |
| Czechia vs Scotland | 0-2 |
| Hungary vs Netherlands | 0-8 |
| Northern Ireland vs Portugal | 0-4 |
| Belgium vs Poland | 1-0 |
Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifying results
Netherlands score eight against Hungary
The Netherlands produced one of the biggest results of the opening round, defeating Hungary 8-0 away from home. Lineth Beerensteyn and Victoria Pelova both scored hat-tricks, accounting for six of the Dutch goals.
The result puts the Netherlands in a commanding position ahead of Tuesday’s return fixture, when Hungary travel to face the Oranje Leeuwinnen. The Dutch are attempting to qualify for their fourth consecutive Women’s World Cup after reaching the quarter-finals in 2023.
Republic of Ireland match Dutch eight-goal victory
The Republic of Ireland also scored eight unanswered goals, defeating Kazakhstan 8-0 in their opening leg. Ireland entered the play-offs after finishing third in a League A qualifying group containing France, the Netherlands and Poland.
The victory gives them an eight-goal advantage heading into the second leg on home soil, putting them firmly on course to reach the next round. Ireland made their Women’s World Cup debut in 2023 and are seeking a second appearance at the tournament.
England take two-goal lead against Greece
England began their play-off campaign with a 3-1 victory away to Greece. The Lionesses entered the play-offs after finishing second to Spain in League A Group A3, despite both countries ending the qualifying league stage on 15 points.
Friday’s result gives England a two-goal advantage ahead of the return fixture on Tuesday 13 October.
The European champions will host Greece knowing that a win or draw will secure progression to Round 2, where the winner of Slovakia against Ukraine awaits. Ukraine strengthened their own position with a 3-1 away victory over Slovakia in the first leg.
Scotland win in Czechia as Caroline Weir scores again
Scotland secured an important 2-0 away victory against Czechia, putting themselves in a strong position ahead of the return match. Caroline Weir was among the goalscorers, taking her overall tally in the 2027 Women’s European Qualifiers to 11.
The midfielder finished the league stage with ten goals and remains the competition’s leading scorer, ahead of Belgium’s Tessa Wullaert on eight. Scotland are attempting to return to the Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2019.
A successful second leg would send Scotland into a Round 2 tie against either Lithuania or Sweden.
Wales edge Albania while Northern Ireland lose to Portugal
Wales claimed a 1-0 away victory over Albania, giving them a narrow advantage ahead of Tuesday’s return fixture. The two countries had already met during the qualifying league stage, with Wales winning both encounters.
Wales are seeking their first appearance at a Women’s World Cup, having qualified for the European Championship for the first time in 2025. Their potential Round 2 opponents are Romania or Norway, with Norway holding a 2-0 lead after Friday’s first leg. Northern Ireland, meanwhile, suffered a 4-0 home defeat against Portugal.
The Portuguese now take a four-goal advantage into the second leg, leaving Northern Ireland facing a difficult task if they are to continue their qualification campaign.
Sweden, Iceland and Switzerland establish major leads
Sweden recorded a 5-0 victory away to Lithuania, with Felicia Schröder scoring a hat-trick. The result gives Sweden a substantial advantage before hosting the second leg. Sweden are aiming to maintain their record of qualifying for every Women’s World Cup.
Iceland also moved into a strong position with a 4-0 away win against Croatia. Switzerland were involved in the highest-scoring match of the day, defeating Israel 7-3.
Israel’s Talia Sommer scored a hat-trick, but Switzerland still emerged with a four-goal advantage ahead of the return fixture.
Italy, Norway and Finland also take control
Italy secured a 2-0 away victory over Belarus, while Norway recorded the same scoreline against Romania. Both nations will host their respective second legs with two-goal advantages.
Finland defeated Serbia 3-1 at home, leaving Serbia needing to overturn a two-goal deficit in Tuesday’s return fixture. Austria earned a 2-1 away win against Kosovo, while Belgium recorded a 1-0 home victory over Poland.
The closest tie in terms of goals scored was Türkiye against Slovenia, which finished 3-3. The teams will meet again in Slovenia with the aggregate score level.
Women’s World Cup qualifiers: Second-leg fixtures on Tuesday 13 October
All kick-off times are UK time (BST). The first-leg results are shown in brackets from the perspective of the teams listed below.
| Fixture | UK kick-off | First-leg score |
|---|---|---|
| Slovenia vs Türkiye | 16:00 | 3-3 |
| Ukraine vs Slovakia | 16:00 | 3-1 |
| Serbia vs Finland | 16:00 | 1-3 |
| Norway vs Romania | 17:00 | 2-0 |
| Austria vs Kosovo | 17:00 | 2-1 |
| Poland vs Belgium | 17:00 | 0-1 |
| Italy vs Belarus | 17:15 | 2-0 |
| Sweden vs Lithuania | 18:00 | 5-0 |
| Iceland vs Croatia | 18:30 | 4-0 |
| Switzerland vs Israel | 18:30 | 7-3 |
| Wales vs Albania | 19:15 | 1-0 |
| Scotland vs Czechia | 19:15 | 2-0 |
| Portugal vs Northern Ireland | 19:15 | 4-0 |
| England vs Greece | 19:30 | 3-1 |
| Republic of Ireland vs Kazakhstan | 19:30 | 8-0 |
| Netherlands vs Hungary | 19:45 | 8-0 |
What happens after the second legs?
The 16 winners will advance to Round 2, which takes place between 26 November and 5 December 2026.
Seven of the eight eventual Round 2 winners will qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The remaining winner will enter the inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027.
For the complete draw and each country’s potential route to the tournament, see our Women’s World Cup 2027 UEFA play-off draw explained guide.
Denmark, France, Germany and Spain have already qualified directly from Europe. Follow the wider qualification picture in our Women’s World Cup 2027 qualified teams tracker.
The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will take place in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027.
Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifying results
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