England has been drawn with Spain in their qualifying group for the 2027 Women's World Cup, following a draw that took place in Nyon on Wednesday.
The Lionesses will face the reigning world champions and their old adversaries in Group A3, alongside Iceland and Ukraine. England gained revenge when they beat Spain in the Euro 2025 final to retain their European title.
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland have all been paired with teams that could prove challenging opponents for them in qualifying for the tournament.
The draw has left many questions about how each team will perform against their respective opponents. England's group is particularly interesting due to its strong mix of teams from Europe.
Scotland will face Belgium, Israel, and Luxembourg in Group B4, while Wales will play against the Czech Republic, Albania, and Montenegro in Group B1. Northern Ireland have been placed in Group B2 with Switzerland, Turkey, and Malta, and the Republic of Ireland are in Group A2 alongside the Netherlands, France, and Poland.
Qualifying for the World Cup follows a similar format to the Nations League and is split into three tiers. Only the four group winners in League A will automatically qualify for the finals in Brazil, with the remaining teams having to go through the play-offs for the remaining eight places.
The qualifiers will be played across six matchdays on a home and away basis during 2026, starting on March 3rd and finishing on June 9th. The draw has also revealed what the playoff route could look like for League B sides - a first-round tie against a side that finished second or third in their pool, with the winner then facing a League A opponent.
Overall, it's clear that England will be up against some tough opponents as they begin their journey to qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup.
The Lionesses will face the reigning world champions and their old adversaries in Group A3, alongside Iceland and Ukraine. England gained revenge when they beat Spain in the Euro 2025 final to retain their European title.
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland have all been paired with teams that could prove challenging opponents for them in qualifying for the tournament.
The draw has left many questions about how each team will perform against their respective opponents. England's group is particularly interesting due to its strong mix of teams from Europe.
Scotland will face Belgium, Israel, and Luxembourg in Group B4, while Wales will play against the Czech Republic, Albania, and Montenegro in Group B1. Northern Ireland have been placed in Group B2 with Switzerland, Turkey, and Malta, and the Republic of Ireland are in Group A2 alongside the Netherlands, France, and Poland.
Qualifying for the World Cup follows a similar format to the Nations League and is split into three tiers. Only the four group winners in League A will automatically qualify for the finals in Brazil, with the remaining teams having to go through the play-offs for the remaining eight places.
The qualifiers will be played across six matchdays on a home and away basis during 2026, starting on March 3rd and finishing on June 9th. The draw has also revealed what the playoff route could look like for League B sides - a first-round tie against a side that finished second or third in their pool, with the winner then facing a League A opponent.
Overall, it's clear that England will be up against some tough opponents as they begin their journey to qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup.
I'm so hyped for the Lionesses!!! They're gonna crush Spain again in the Euro vibes 
and now it's time to take on those strong European teams in Group A3! 
Iceland, Ukraine, and Spain - they better bring their A-game because England is ready to shine 
! The group stage is looking super competitive btw... Scotland vs Belgium, Wales vs Czech Republic - who's gonna come out on top?! 
Looks like England is gonna need to bring their A-game if they wanna take down Spain! 
... I mean, I'm not saying they're gonna lose or anything, but with Spain and Iceland in the same group? That's some tough competition right there 
England definitely got a lot of momentum going into this qualifying process. I think what's interesting is how they'll perform against teams like Spain and Iceland, who are both pretty skilled. Scotland's draw in Group B4 looks pretty tricky too - Belgium and Luxembourg aren't exactly unknown quantities 
esp since they've already beaten spain in the euro final so a rematch is def on the cards 
and scotland, wales, ni and ireland are all paired with some tough teams too, belgium, czech rep, and switzerland are just a few examples 
but like, who knows right? maybe they'll all surprise us and do well in qualifying 
but hey, we've seen engerland pull off some big upsets before, like beating spain in the euro 2025 final 
another thing that's got me curious is how qualifying works... it seems pretty intense with all these play-offs and whatnot... sounds like a lot of pressure on the teams