Cymru’s journey towards the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil will continue this autumn after Rhian Wilkinson’s side secured a place in the play-offs.
Having finished as League B Group B1 winners in the UEFA Women’s European Qualifiers, Cymru are among 32 nations who remain in contention for one of Europe’s remaining places at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Cymru secured top spot in their group after collecting 14 points from six matches, finishing three points clear of Czechia. Wilkinson’s side won four and drew two of their qualifiers, scoring 17 goals and conceding just five, before sealing first place with a 3-1 victory over Czechia on the final matchday.
When is the play-off draw?
The play-off draw will take place on Thursday 18 June, with two rounds of home-and-away ties set to determine which nations join Denmark, France, Germany and Spain in Brazil next summer.
How do the play-offs work?
The 32 teams have been split into two separate pathways for the first round of the play-offs.
As one of the four League B group winners, Cymru will enter Path 2 alongside the four teams that finished bottom of their League A groups.
Those eight seeded nations will be drawn against teams that finished second and third in the League B groups, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg.
Cymru’s potential first-round opponents are Czechia, Türkiye, Finland, Belgium, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Israel and Albania.
A meeting with Czechia would see Cymru face familiar opposition after the two sides were drawn together in League B Group B1. Cymru took four points from the two encounters, drawing 2-2 away from home before securing a 3-1 victory in Cardiff on Tuesday to confirm top spot in the group.
Cymru could also come up against Albania from their group. Rhian Wilkinson’s team secured a 1-0 win away and achieved a convincing 4-0 victory at home.
The first round of the play-offs will take place between 7 and 13 October 2026.
The eight winners from Path 2 will then advance to Round 2, where they will be drawn against the winners emerging from Path 1, which contains teams from Leagues A and C.
Round 2 ties will be played between 26 November and 5 December 2026.
What does Cymru need to do to qualify?
To reach the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Cymru must win both their Round 1 and Round 2 play-off ties.
Eight teams will emerge victorious from Round 2, but only seven will qualify directly for the tournament in Brazil.
The seven highest-ranked Round 2 winners, based on the overall UEFA Women’s European Qualifiers rankings, will secure automatic qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The remaining Round 2 winner will progress to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Inter-Confederation Play-Offs in February 2027 for one final opportunity to qualify.
The inter-confederation play-offs will bring together nations from across the world competing for the final places at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Brazil will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup between 24 June and 25 July 2027, and Cymru will discover their route to the tournament when the play-off draw takes place on 18 June.
