England faces Greece in 2027 Women's World Cup European playoff draw

The draw for the 2027 Women's World Cup European qualifying playoffs was held in Nyon, Switzerland on Thursday, determining the path for eight national teams competing for seven remaining European spots at the finals tournament in Brazil. European champion England, which finished as runner-up at the 2023 World Cup, will face Greece in the first round, with the winner advancing to play either Slovakia or Ukraine.

Spain, Denmark, France, and Germany secured direct qualification to the 2027 finals after topping their qualifying groups, which concluded this month. This left 32 teams competing in the playoff draw for the remaining seven European berths, with the eighth bracket's winner advancing to intercontinental playoffs in February. Europe holds 11 of the 32 available places in the finals tournament.

Several notable matchups emerged from the draw: Sweden, which eliminated the two-time defending champion United States at the 2023 World Cup, will play Lithuania with the winner facing either the Czech Republic or Scotland. Italy, fresh from a hard-fought loss to England in the Euro 2025 semifinals, meets Belarus, with the victor advancing to face either Finland or Serbia. Israel will host Switzerland in the first leg of their bracket, with the winner progressing to play either Kosovo or Austria.

The playoff structure reflects ongoing geopolitical constraints. UEFA moved Italy and Belarus down in the draw after they were initially paired with the Slovakia-Ukraine winner, as the governing body has prohibited potential matchups between Ukraine and Belarus—a Russian military ally—since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. UEFA also requires Belarus to play home matches in neutral countries with empty stadiums, a requirement that led to Georgia hosting their qualifying group games. Similarly, Israel has competed in neutral venues since the October 2023 escalation of the conflict with Hamas in Gaza, with Hungary hosting their qualifying games and Hungary set to host Switzerland for the first leg.

First-round playoff matches are scheduled for October, with second-round contests taking place in November and December, ultimately determining which teams will compete in Brazil next year.