Cymru will discover their opponents for next year’s 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign when the draw takes place in Nyon, Switzerland, at 12pm GMT on Tuesday 4 November.
The Women’s European Qualifiers will run from February to December 2026, determining which UEFA teams secure a place at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. The competition will also decide promotion and relegation ahead of the next UEFA Women’s Nations League cycle.
Rhian Wilkinson’s side have been placed in Pot 1 for the League B draw alongside Belgium, Portugal and Switzerland, ensuring they will avoid facing any of these teams. Their group opponents will therefore be drawn from Pots 2, 3 and 4.
Potential Opponents
- Pot 2: Scotland, Czechia, Finland, Northern Ireland
- Pot 3: Albania, Türkiye, Slovakia, Israel
- Pot 4: Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Latvia
Path to the World Cup
For Cymru to reach the 2027 finals, they must progress through the play-offs.
The first round of the play-offs is divided into two paths:
- Path 1: Teams finishing second and third in League A groups will face the six group winners and the two best-ranked runners-up from League C. League A teams will be seeded and host the second legs. The eight winners advance to round two.
- Path 2: The four fourth-placed League A teams and four League B group winners—including Cymru’s eventual group—will be drawn into eight ties against the second and third-placed teams from League B groups. The seeded teams (League A sides and League B group winners) will host the second legs, with the eight victors progressing to round two.
In the second round, winners from both paths will be drawn into eight ties. The round one path one winners will be seeded and host the second leg.
The seven best-ranked round two play-off winners, based on the 2026 Women’s European Qualifiers overall league rankings, will qualify directly for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The remaining winner will enter the World Cup inter-confederation play-offs, scheduled for the second phase in February 2027.
Promotion and Relegation Stakes
Aside from World Cup qualification, promotion and relegation will also be decided ahead of the next UEFA Women’s Nations League cycle, which runs from 2027 to 2029, forming the pathway to UEFA Women’s EURO 2029.
