Qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup is in full swing, and the last couple weeks featured some important matches determining who will compete in Brazil next year.

Along with the hosts, the Asia confederation has determined their automatic qualifiers for 2027. At this point, we know Australia, China, Japan, North Korea, Philippines, and South Korea have claimed their spots in the World Cup. Uzbekistan and Taiwan remain in contention for qualification via the inter-confederation playoffs.

If you need a reminder of how qualification works, I wrote a post reviewing the qualification process for each confederation. If you would prefer a video format with some commentary, I can recommend the Athletic’s Full Time Podcast episode about it from a couple months ago.

With that quick set up, let’s look at the action that transpired this month.

Instead of hosting a formal 2026 UEFA Nations League, UEFA are using the Nations League format to determine the qualifiers for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. This has two phases: a group phase and a playoff phase.

As with the Nations League, the groups are divided into league levels. The A level are the top teams on the continent. The B level are the next tier. The C level are the bottom tier.

Performance in the 2026 UEFA World Cup Qualifiers will impact seeding for the 2027 UEFA Nations League, but there will not be a proper champion determined, like there would be with a Nations League.

Overall, there will be 11 nations that qualify from Europe via the group phase or playoff phase. 1 team will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.

There are 16 teams in the A groups, broken into 4 groups of 4 nations. None of these teams are eliminated from World Cup contention at this group stage, but only the league winners will qualify for the World Cup via this group phase. The nations that finish second through fourth will move on to the playoff phase.

From the A group nations: 4 teams are assured a place in the World Cup, the remaining 12 teams move on to the playoff phase.

April Results

Serbia 0-6 Italy : Highlights
Sweden 1-2 Denmark : Highlights
Denmark 0-0 Italy : Highlights
Sweden 1-0 Serbia : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Denmark vs Sweden
June 5: Italy vs Serbia
June 9: Sweden vs Italy
June 9: Serbia vs Denmark

Standings

Denmark’s win over Sweden was the big result of this group. Sweden will have a chance to avenge the result in the next round of fixtures, but Denmark have now given themselves control of their destiny for immediate qualification to the World Cup from the group.

Italy needed a win, and they put up a big victory over Serbia. They have their home fixture against Serbia in June, so if other results go their way, the Azurri could sneak into that top spot.

Naturally, Sweden will be looking to work their way back into the top spot, and if they don’t finish top in this group, it will feel like a failure. Serbia were always likely to finish bottom of this group, and they can no longer qualify via finishing top of this group. However, they can still play spoiler for other nations.

April Results

Poland 2-3 Ireland : Highlights
Netherlands 2-1 France : Highlights
Ireland 1-0 Poland : Highlights
France 1-1 Netherlands : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Poland vs France
June 5: Ireland vs Netherlands
June 9: France vs Ireland
June 9: Netherlands vs Poland

Standings

The April fixtures featured the key matches between the group favorites, France and Netherlands. The Dutch ended up on the winning end of those matches and currently top the group. They can’t look past Ireland and Poland, but the Dutch should feel good about qualifying for the World Cup via this group stage.

France will be looking to win their matches and hoping the Dutch slip up, but progressing from the group stage is out of their hands at this point. Ireland can win out and, as a result, top the group, but that’s a big ask when winning out means defeating both France and Netherlands.

Poland are unable to qualify directly via the group stage, but they can play spoilers for one of the bigger nations.

April Results

England 1-0 Spain : Highlights
Iceland 1-0 Ukraine : Highlights
Spain 6-0 Ukraine : Highlights
Iceland 0-1 England : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Spain vs England
June 5: Ukraine vs Iceland
June 9: England vs Ukraine
June 9: Iceland vs Spain

Standings

This was always likely to be a two-horse race between England and Spain, with Iceland and Ukraine hoping to play spoilers, and that’s how it’s gone. England landed the first blow with their 1-0 win over Spain, but the reverse fixture will happen on June 5, and Spain will be itching for revenge.

If England can get a point out of the match against Spain, they’ll feel they have the better matchup on the final day of matches, but a win would seal the group for England. Spain will not just want to beat England, but they’ll aim for a multigoal victory. The group could come down to tiebreakers, and the first tiebreaker is head-to-head goal difference, so a multigoal victory over England suits Spain.

Both Iceland and Ukraine have been eliminated from qualification via the group stage. They’ll look to maybe play spoilers and earn their place in the 2027 Women’s World Cup via the playoff stage.

April Results

Norway 5-0 Slovenia : Highlights
Germany 5-1 Austria : Highlights
Slovenia 2-3 Norway : Highlights
Austria 0-0 Germany : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Austria vs Slovenia
June 5: Germany vs Norway
June 9: Slovenia vs Germany
June 9: Norway vs Austria

Standings

Austria’s 0-0 draw with Germany suited Norway’s purposes nicely, keeping the Norwegians in control of their destiny. They’ll have to go to Germany and get a win, but if they pull it off, Norway would face Austria at home to ensure direct qualification from the group stage.

Germany ensures qualification with a win over Norway, but a draw keeps them in control of their destiny. If they have to wait for the final match day, an away trip to Slovenia can be tricky, but it’s a match they should win.

Slovenia and Austria have been eliminated from qualification via the playoff stage.

For the B groups, again, 16 teams are broken into 4 groups of 4 nations. None of the B group teams can qualify for the World Cup during this group phase. The best they can do is move on to the playoff phase, but finishing higher in the group leads to easier opposition in the playoff phase. The top three teams qualify for the playoff stage of the qualifiers. The fourth team is eliminated from World Cup qualification.

From the B group nations: 12 teams move on to the playoff phase. 4 nations are eliminated from qualification for the World Cup.

April Results

Czech Rep. 5-0 Montenegro : Highlights
Wales 4-0 Albania : Highlights
Montenegro 1-4 Czech Rep. : Highlights
Albania 0-1 Wales : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Montenegro vs Wales
June 5: Czech Rep. vs Albania
June 9: Wales vs Czech Rep.
June 9: Albania vs Montenegro

Standings

The Czech Republic and Wales have guaranteed progress to the playoff phase. Their encounter on June 9th will be about seeding. The final spot in the group is still up for grabs, as Albania hosts Montenegro on June 9th. A win or a draw sees Albania move on to the playoffs. If Montenegro wins, who progresses will come down to the tiebreakers, but a multi-goal victory will do it for Montenegro.

April Results

Switzerland 3-1 Turkey : Highlights
Northern Ireland 4-0 Malta : Highlights
Turkey 1-1 Switzerland : Highlights
Malta 2-4 Northern Ireland : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Switzerland vs Malta
June 5: Turkey vs Northern Ireland
June 9: Northern Ireland vs Switzerland
June 9: Malta vs Turkey

Standings

Group B is sorted as far as which teams are moving on to the playoff phase. Switzerland will want to see out to the top spot and better seeding for the next phase, while Turkey and Northern Ireland will be hoping to unseat them at the top. Malta have been eliminated.

April Results

Finland 4-2 Slovakia : Highlights
Latvia 0-3 Portugal : Highlights
Slovakia 1-2 Portugal : Highlights
Latvia 0-1 Finland : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Portugal vs Latvia
June 5: Slovakia vs Finland
June 9: Finland vs Portugal
June 9: Latvia vs Slovakia

Standings

Portugal and Finland have qualified for the playoff phase, but they will battle each other for seeding. Finland has two tricky matches in June, as they first travel to Slovakia, who will be looking for a win to ensure their own qualification to the playoff phase. If Finland aren’t careful, they could find themselves slipping all the way to 3rd in the group and face a difficult path through the playoff phase.

April Results

Israel 6-0 Luxembourg : Highlights
Scotland 1-1 Belgium : Highlights
Luxembourg 1-3 Israel : Highlights
Belgium 0-0 Scotland : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Belgium vs Luxembourg
June 5: Scotland vs Israel
June 9: Israel vs Scotland
June 9: Luxembourg vs Belgium

Standings

Group B4 is settled with Scotland, Belgium, and Israel all assured of progressing to the playoff phase. Israel is assured qualification already because, despite Luxembourg being able to catch them on points, Israel have the first tiebreaker settled. This means Luxembourg are eliminated.

For the C groups, there are 6 groups in total, comprised of 21 teams. Groups C1-C3 have 4 teams. Groups C4-C6 have 3 teams.

The winner of each group qualifies for the playoff phase. The runners up are then ranked, and the top 2 runners up also qualify for the playoff phase. The remaining nations are eliminated.

From the C group nations: 8 teams will move on to the playoff phase. The remaining 13 teams are eliminated from World Cup qualification.

April Results

Estonia 2-1 Liechtenstein : Highlights
Lithuania 2-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina : Highlights
Estonia 2-1 Lithuania : Highlights
Liechtenstein 0-6 Bosnia & Herzegovina : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Lithuania
June 5: Liechtenstein vs Estonia
June 9: Estonia vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
June 9: Lithuania vs Liechtenstein

Standings

All still to play for in Group C1. Bosnia currently have the edge on Lithuania and Estonia, but both of the chasers will get a shot at Bosnia in the final matches in June, so it will be an action-packed start to June. Liechtenstein have long been eliminated, but they can take someone with them with a result or two.

April Results

Bulgaria 1-3 Kosovo : Highlights
Gibralter 0-1 Croatia : Highlights
Croatia 9-0 Gibralter : Highlights
Kosovo 2-1 Bulgaria : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Kosovo vs Croatia
June 5: Bulgaria vs Gibralter
June 9: Croatia vs Bulgaria
June 9: Gibralter vs Kosovo

Standings

Kosovo and Croatia face each other on June 5, and that could be the decider for the group. Bulgaria has an outside chance to finish second, but they’ll need other fixtures to go their way. Gibralter are eliminated.

April Results

North Macedonia 0-5 Hungary : Highlights
Andorra 1-3 Azerbaijan : Highlights
Hungary 7-0 North Macedonia : Highlights
Azerbaijan 2-0 Andorra : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Azerbaijan vs Hungary
June 5: Andorra vs North Macedonia
June 9: Hungary vs Andorra
June 9: North Macedonia vs Azerbaijan

Standings

The group winner for C3 will surely be determined on June 5, when Azerbaijan hosts Hungary. If Hungary win, they are assured top spot and progression to the playoff phase. Any other result means the teams wait until the June 9th fixtures to determine who moves on. North Macedonia have a slim shot at 2nd place, and Andorra are already eliminated.

April Results

Faroe Islands 2-3 Greece : Highlights
Faroe Islands 1-0 Georgia : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Georgia vs Faroe Islands
June 9: Georgia vs Greece

Standings

Greece have won progress to the playoff phase. Faroe Islands will want to get a big win over Georgia to try and qualify as one of the best second-placed teams. Georgia, likewise, will want to use their two home fixtures to try and get two big wins. They can’t catch Greece, but two big wins could see them qualify as a second-placed team.

April Results

Moldova 0-0 Cyprus : Highlights
Romania 3-0 Cyprus : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Moldova vs Romania
June 9: Cyprus vs Moldova

Standings

Romania have qualified for the playoff phase. Both Cyprus and Moldova have the chance of being a best second-placed team, but that’s very slim hope for Cyprus. Moldova, with their two matches, could do a well to move on with two wins, though the match against Romania will be difficult.

April Results

Armenia 0-3 Belarus : Highlights
Belarus 0-1 Kazakhstan : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Armenia vs Kazakhstan
June 9: Belarus vs Armenia

Standings

Armenia gets to play queen makers in group C6, as the face the two front runners. Belarus and Kazakhstan split on-goal wins against each other, so they’ll be looking to outscore each other when each faces Armenia. Belarus as the added advantage of playing Armenia second, and at home. Of course, both are in a good spot to move on as a second-placed team as well.

CONMEBOL qualification for the Women’s World Cup is coming in the form of the Women’s Nations League. In this format, each of the participating nations will face off with each other one time. In the resulting table, the top two teams will qualify for the World Cup while the third- and fourth-placed teams will continue on to the inter-confederation playoffs.

The April fixtures saw three rounds of matches played, and though they haven’t guaranteed any qualifiers yet, the front runners certainly established themselves.

Venezuela came into the April fixtures flying high. Along with Argentina, they were top of the table. Colombia and Chile sitting the playoff spots with the rest of the nations close behind. Of course, Venezuela had difficult April fixtures, but if they could win those fixtures, they’d be well positioned to qualify for the World Cup. Argentina, likewise, had fixtures that could see them solidify their spot at the top of the table.

From the CONMEBOL nations: 2 teams will qualify for the World Cup and 2 teams will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.

April 10

Peru 2-1 Uruguay : Highlights
Paraguay 2-0 Ecuador : Highlights
Chile 0-1 Argentina : Highlights
Colombia 2-1 Venezuela : Highlights

April 14

Peru 1-1 Paraguay : Highlights
Bolivia 1-2 Uruguay : Highlights
Venezuela 1-2 Argentina : Highlights
Colombia 2-0 Chile : Highlights

April 18

Uruguay 1-3 Chile : Highlights
Ecuador 1-0 Peru : Highlights
Venezuela 8-0 Bolivia : Highlights
Argentina 0-0 Colombia : Highlights

Remaining Fixtures

June 5: Bolivia vs Paraguay
June 5: Argentina vs Peru
June 5: Colombia vs Uruguay
June 5: Chile vs Ecuador

June 9: Peru vs Bolivia
June 9: Paraguay vs Colombia
June 9: Uruguay vs Venezuela
June 9: Ecuador vs Argentina

Standings

More than anyone, this set of fixtures was great for Argentina and Colombia. They both notched wins over other nations in the fight for the two automatic spots, and they drew with each other. Going into their final set of matches, both teams need just a single point to ensure qualification for the World Cup.

Conversely, this was a bad window for Bolivia and Uruguay. Bolivia have been formally eliminated from World Cup qualification, and Uruguay can only qualify via the inter-confederation playoffs, which are, themselves, a hill to climb for Uruguay.

Venezuela also had a poor window. They faced their two main rivals for the automatic qualification spots and lost them both. They can take heart from the fact that they were competitive in those matches, but they fell from the automatic qualification spot, and have one match remaining to hold onto an inter-confederation playoff spot (unless Colombia or Argentina fall apart in these last two fixtures).

The other four sides kept themselves in fight, but the situation isn’t great for Peru and Paraguay, as they have difficult fixtures and need maximum points to have a fighting chance at an inter-confederation playoff spot.

The fixture to watch on June 5th is Ecuador vs Chile. This will be Chile’s final fixture, so a loss would see them eliminated. A win would not guarantee Chile a playoff spot, but it would massively boost their odds. Conversely, a loss for Ecuador would all but eliminate them. A win puts them in a strong position to qualify. A draw serves Ecuador more than Chile, but it doesn’t really help either team.

CONCACAF’s World Cup qualification is tripling as 2028 Summer Olympic qualifying and the group & knockout phases of the W Championship. This makes these matches very high stakes, as they determine whether or not a nation from the region will qualify for the next two major international tournaments plus continue on in the regions major tournament.

At the current stage, all of the CONCACAF nations minus USA and Canada are playing in group phase matches to advance to the knockout phase. Participating in the group phase cannot lead to World Cup qualification, itself. That will happen in the knockout phase. However, teams that don’t advance from the group phase are eliminated from both World Cup and Summer Olympic qualifying.

Last week, I wrote a preview of the key matches on the final weekend, since they were the matches that would determine which nations advance to the next round, and I’ll focus on those matches here.

Mexico 6-0 Puerto Rico : Highlights

Mexico got out on the front foot and made that domination payoff quickly, as they took the lead in the 10’ on a goal from Alexia Delgado. Reyna Reyes hit the post a few minutes later to continue the domination. Considering Mexico’s domination, the match was all but put to rest in the 33’ when Puerto Rico’s Estefanía González miss-hit her headed clearance into her own net for a 2-0 lead for Mexico. Scarlett Camberos would score a third for Mexico before the halftime whistle.

The second half continued much like the first, with Mexico dominating the match and scoring another 3 goals to close out the match with a 6-0 win. Puerto Rico would have gone into the match hoping they could hold firm, defensively, and steal a goal, but Mexico’s dominant attack quickly eliminated that game plan, and Puerto Rico never recovered from there.

Standings

Jamaica 2-0 Guyana : Highlights

This was one of the more secure groups coming into the final weekend of matches after Jamaica beat their chief rivals, Nicaragua, during a previous international break. Still, Guyana had the chance of a major upset. As it went, Jamaica put all talk of an upset to bed early when Bunny Shaw headed home from a corner in the 8’. In end, Jamaica would only score two, and the second goal didn’t come until the 88’, but this was primarily due to the heroics of Guyana’s keeper, Arden La-Rose.

On the off-chance of an upset in the Jamaica v Guyana match, Nicaragua kept themselves relevant with a 14-0 win over Dominica, but it would be for naught, as Jamaica’s win ensured they finished top of the group.

Standings

Costa Rica 3-0 Guatemala : Highlights

Of the potential upsets for the groups, this was the matchup most likely to come good, and it very nearly tilted that way early. Off the kickoff, Aisha Solórzano picked up a loose touch from a Costa Rican defender and put her shot off the post and wide. It would have given the visitors the exact start they needed. Guatemala continued to have the better of play in the opening minutes, and Solórzano, again, proved a threat by forcing a good save out of Solera in Costa Rica’s net.

But the Ticas would find the opener in the 13’ minute when Gloriana Villalobos hammered a half-volley from the top of the box into the net. This definitely helped calm Costa Rica’s nerves, and they saw out the rest of the half to take their on-goal lead into the break. Costa Rica would score two more in the second half to finish off the match.

Standings

Haiti 1-1 Dominican Republic : Highlights

This match was always going to feature the Dominican Republic taking pressure from Haiti and hoping to steal a win, and it very nearly worked. While Haiti piled on pressure, they could not find the net. It wasn’t until 67’ that Haiti finally scored, when Sherly Jeudy headed home a good cross. But, the Dominican Republic quickly responded, equalizing the match in the 73’ when Stella Tapia put away a poor clearance. Haiti would control the remainder of the match to see out the result and qualification for the next round, but Dominican Republic made the fixture exciting.

Standings

Panama 3-0 Cuba : Highlights

Similar to Mexico’s match with Puerto Rico, Cuba’s hopes of stealing a win were quickly dashed by Panama getting out on attack early and making that early pressure pay off. They would win a penalty in the opening minute. Cuba’s keeper, Alianne Matamoro, would save the penalty attempt, but Ericka Arauz would clean up the rebound. Panama would score a second 20 minutes later. Matamoro tried to claim a foul, but it wasn’t given (and, frankly, wasn’t warranted). Cuba needed to be sharp on defense, and they simply were not. Panama would get a third in the second half to finish the scoring.

Standings

Trinidad and Tobago 0-2 El Salvador : Highlights

Group F’s winner take all matchup saw El Salvador control the match for large stretches of play, but T&T caused problems for the Salvadoran defense when they got running. El Salvador would finally take the lead in the 37’ when Brenda Cerén was played in behind the T&T defense and finished past Eligon.

In the second half, El Salvador continued to dominate possession, but they also did a better job of muting T&T’s counterattacks. The second half went much smoother for the visitors, and Cerén would find a second goal in 51’ to seal the victory for El Salvador. The win marked the first time El Salvador would qualify for the knockout stage of the W Championship and the first time T&T would fail to qualify for said knockout stage.

As a final note on CONCACAF’s qualifying, it really sucks that this is it for both World Cup and Olympic qualifying for most of these nations. Guatemala, Nicaragua, Trinidad & Tobago, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic all had excellent runs, and it is really a shame that they don’t have the chance of another major tournament until the 2031 World Cup.

I understand that it is not easy for all of these nations to field teams and travel, so condensing the qualification of these tournaments into one set of fixtures likely made participation possible for some nations. I can’t say it was the wrong choice under the immediate circumstances. But the immediate circumstances are the product of a long string of decisions that have undervalued women’s soccer. There is a world where each of these tournaments would have their own campaigns, and all of the federations would participate throughout. It’s a damn shame we don’t get more opportunity to see these nations aim for a big qualification.

With the group phase of qualification wrapped up, the 8 remaining contenders for the W Championship and World Cup qualification are: USA, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Haiti, Panama, and El Salvador.

These nations have been paired off based on rankings, and the knockout phase will progress as follows:

For the purposes of World Cup qualification, the quarterfinal round is the most important. The four nations to win their quarterfinal matchup will qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

For the four nations that lose in the quarterfinal round, they will paired and play each other. The winners of these two matches will progress to the inter-confederation playoffs. The losers of these two matches will be eliminated from World Cup qualification.

The quarterfinal matches will take place on November 27th and 28th. The play-in matches to progress to the inter-confederation playoffs will be held on December 2.

Oceania’s World Cup qualifying started in November 2025 with a mini tournament to determine who would be the final team to move into the group phase of qualifying. That was won by American Samoa.

In the group phase, the remaining 8 nations were divided into two groups of 4 teams, and a round-robin format was used. The top two teams from each group moved on to the final knockout stage. Those four teams were American Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

Of the nations competing in this final knockout stage, 1 qualifies for the World Cup and 1 progresses to the inter-confederation playoffs.

The big surprise for this round was American Samoa, who began qualifying as the lowest-ranked nation in the region. However, the federation brought on Amanda Cromwell as head coach, and they have been able to put together a solid run to this final phase of the qualification process.

The favorites to qualify, naturally, are New Zealand. Papua New Guinea

Semifinals

Papua New Guinea 1-0 American Samoa : Highlights
New Zealand 5-0 Fiji : Highlights

American Samoa’s improbable dream run finally came to an end at the semifinal stage. Papua New Guinea were able to find the winning goal just before half time when Keren Kalapai was sprung by her keeper after defending a corner. Kalapai got 1v1 with the Samoan keeper and calmly finished.

For New Zealand, they were able to get ahead of Fiji in the opening 5 minutes, and they were grew from there. Fiji didn’t provide much resistance, and New Zealand had the match wrapped up by half with a 4-0 lead. The fifth goal came in the 75’.

Final

Papua New Guinea 0-1 New Zealand : Highlights

New Zealand were quickly on the front foot in this match, and they had multiple opportunities to take the lead in the opening quarter of the match. The Kiwis would get the ball in the net in the 23’ but it was ruled out for an offside.

New Zealand continued to pile on the pressure, but another offside call and some heroics from Betty Sam in PNG’s goal kept the match goalless at the half.

Katie Kitching would finally get the goal for New Zealand in the 55’. New Zealand would see out the rest of the match with ease and qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Papua New Guinea join Taiwan and Uzbekistan in the inter-confederation playoffs.

Standings

After the April international fixtures, 8 of the participating nations in the 2027 Women’s World Cup are known, and a further 3 nations have advanced to the inter-confederation playoffs. This summer we’ll South American and Africa confirm their qualified nations. We’ll also learn the first of Europe’s qualifiers. North/Central American and Europe will finalize their qualified nations in November and December of 2026. The nations progress to the inter-confederation playoffs compete to qualify for the remaining World Cup places in February of 2027.

The 2027 Women’s World Cup will then take place in Brazil in June and July of 2027.