Northern Ireland will play Portugal in the first round of European play-off matches for berths at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year.
And if the senior women’s team defeat the Portuguese they will take on either Croatia or Iceland in the second round of play-offs, with the winner of that tie booking a place at the World Cup finals.
In today’s play-offs draw – it was held at UEFA HQ in Switzerland – Northern Ireland and Portugal were placed in Round 1 Path B for the first round of the play-offs.
Four fourth-placed League A teams and four League B group winners from the European Qualifiers were drawn into eight ties against teams finishing second and third in League B groups.
The teams from League A and the League B group winners were seeded and will play the second legs at home. The eight winners of the two-legged play-offs progress to Round 2.
Portugal were seeded in the draw as they won League B Group 3, winning five of their six games and losing one. Michael McArdle’s Northern Ireland side, who finished third in B2, were unseeded.
The two countries have met seven times previously, with the Portuguese winning five of those games and Northern Ireland victorious in two of them.
They last faced each other in May/June 2024 in UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifiers. Portugal won the first game in Leiria by four goals to nil, while they narrowly defeated Northern Ireland 2-1 in the reverse fixture.
Portugal are currently ranked 22nd in the world and Northern Ireland are ranked 50th.
The two-legged R1 play-off tie will be played between 7 and 13 October, with exact match dates TBC. Northern Ireland will be at home in the first leg.
In today’s draw Round 1 Path A featured teams finishing second and third in League A groups along with six group winners and the two best-ranked runners-up in League C.
Iceland (ranked 17th in the world) finished third in A3 behind Spain and England, while Croatia were one of the best-ranked runners-up in League C. The Croatians (63rd in the FIFA Coca-Cola Women’s World Rankings just now) were pipped to the C2 summit by Kosovo on goal difference.
In Round 2 of the play-offs the teams from both paths come together, drawn into eight ties, with seeding for the Round 1 Path 1 winners, who will be at home in the second leg.
Those two-legged ties are due to be played between 26 November and 5 December, with match dates TBC.
The seven best-ranked Round 2 play-off winners according to the 2026 Women’s European Qualifiers overall league rankings qualify directly for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.
The one remaining Round 2 play-off winner qualifies for the World Cup inter-confederation play-offs. The European contenders will directly enter the inter-confederation play-offs in the second phase next February.
Image: Northern Ireland last played Portugal, their R1 play-off opponents, at Mourneview Park in Lurgan back in June 2024.
