World Cup Play-Off Draw for Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have both been drawn into challenging play-off ties as they pursue qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup.
Northern Ireland will face Portugal in the first round of the play-offs. Michael McArdle's team is considered the underdog, having been defeated twice by Portugal during the Euro 2025 qualifying campaign. Should Northern Ireland overcome Portugal, they will then face either Iceland or Croatia in the second round of the play-offs.
Despite the possibility of defeating two prominent European teams, Northern Ireland's current world ranking means they may still need to compete in an additional inter-continental play-off to secure a place in the World Cup finals.
The Republic of Ireland, who made their World Cup debut in 2023, will begin their qualification journey against Kazakhstan in the first round. If Carla Ward's squad wins this tie, they will advance to face either Belgium or Poland in the subsequent round, aiming to qualify for the finals.
The first round of play-off matches is scheduled for October, with the second round taking place during the international windows in November and December.
Complete Women's World Cup Play-Off Draw
- Kazakhstan v Republic of Ireland
- Slovakia or Ukraine v Greece or England
- Finland or Serbia v Belarus or Italy
- Northern Ireland or Portugal v Croatia or Iceland
- Albania or Wales v Romania or Norway
- Israel or Switzerland v Kosovo or Austria
- Czech Republic or Scotland v Lithuania or Sweden
- Belgium or Poland v Kazakhstan or Republic of Ireland
- Turkey or Slovenia v Hungary or Netherlands
Additional Information
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