The Spanish women’s soccer team will find out this Tuesday its rivals in the qualifying phase for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, in a draw where it will start in the first pot of League A, so it will be paired with a rival from the other three pots of the same league, with the first classified getting a direct pass to the next World Cup.
Spain starts in the first pot of League A together with France, Germany and Sweden. The current world champions will avoid these three powerful rivals in this qualifying phase, which will be held between February and December 2026 and will also decide promotions and relegations for the next edition of the Nations League.
Sonia Bermúdez’s team will be paired in a group of four, which will be made up of a selection from the other three pots of League A. All teams will play one game at home and one away against the other teams in their group. For Spain, the rival to avoid will be England, a team they have faced in the last World Cup and European Championship finals, and which is in the second pot.
The Spanish team achieved victory (1-0) in the World Cup final, with the English team taking revenge in the decisive match of the last European Championship (1-1, 3-1 on penalties). In addition, both teams met in the Nations League, with Spain progressing to the ‘Final Four’ in which they will face Germany in the final.
The ‘Three Lions’ are the great threat of the second pot, along with Italy, semi-finalist of the last Euro Cup. While, in third, Denmark is the most formidable rival, with a fourth pot without any selection that should pose no problem for the current world champions.
To achieve direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, Spain will have to finish first in the group. If they finish in second or third place, they must compete in a ‘playoff’, known as route 1, in which they will face one of the six winners and the two best runners-up in League C.
While if it finishes fourth it will face one of the eight teams that finish second or third in the League B groups, which will be route 2. These two ‘playoffs’ will be played between the month of October and December of next year, with the League A teams playing the return matches at home.
The teams from both routes that pass these qualifying rounds will face each other and form a table of eight qualifying rounds, in which the winners of route 1 will be the seeds and will play the second leg at home.
The seven best-ranked route 2 playoff winners according to the overall league standings of the 2026 Women’s European Qualifiers will qualify directly for the World Cup. The remaining playoff selection from that route 2 will qualify for the inter-confederation playoff to be held in February 2027.
In addition to qualifying for the next World Cup, Spain will play its future in the next Nations League, which will begin in the 2027-29 competition cycle and will have an influence on the Euro Cup in 2029. If it finishes first, second or third, it will remain in League A. While if it finishes in fourth place it will be relegated to League B.