The first legs of the UEFA Women’s Nations League promotion and relegation matches took place on Friday, with Denmark already looking good to preserve their top-flight status and a Katie McCabe double boosting the Republic of Ireland’s League A hopes ahead of Tuesday’s returns.
After the league stage, four teams were automatically relegated from League A (Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, Wales), four were automatically promoted from League B (Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine), six teams automatically relegated from League B (Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Romania), and six teams automatically promoted from League C (Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Slovakia).
The remaining promotion and relegation issues are being settled by play-offs. The four teams that finished third in the League A groups are now tackling the four League B group runners-up, who were at home in the first legs. The winners will be in League A for the European Qualifiers phase for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup; the defeated teams will play in League B.
Denmark, one of the four third-place Group A finishers, won 6-1 in Finland thanks in part to a pair goals each by Pernille Harder and substitute Sara Holmgaard. Iceland, also aiming to avoid relegation, prevailed 2-0 in Northern Ireland.
McCabe is set to make her 100th Ireland appearance in Tuesday’s second leg away to Belgium and she set that occasion up in style with a double in a 4-2 win – and had another curling effort deflected in off Nicky Evrard after Tessa Wullaert, winning her 150th Belgium cap, had briefly levelled matters with her 95th international goal. Elsewhere, Czechia also have hopes of earning a League A return as they won 1-0 at home to Austria.
Meanwhile, the two best third-placed teams in the League B groups are playing off against the two best League C group runners-up. The winners will be in League B for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League C.
In Fridays first legs, Türkiye went a long way to staving off relegation as they won 4-0 in Kosovo. Cyprus boosted their hopes of a League B debut as they recovered from two down to beat Albania 3-2.
How 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifying works
League A/B ties
First legs: Friday 24 October
Czechia 1-0 Austria
Finland 1-6 Denmark
Republic of Ireland 4-2 Belgium
Northern Ireland 0-2 Iceland
Second legs: Tuesday 28 October
Denmark vs Finland (18:00)
Austria vs Czechia (18:00)
Iceland vs Northern Ireland (19:00)
Belgium vs Republic of Ireland (20:30)
All times CET
- Northern Ireland are aiming to follow Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine in earning a League A debut. Czechia, the Republic of Ireland and Finland were all relegated from League A in the previous Women’s European Qualifiers phase.
- Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Iceland have all been ever-present in League A since the current system was introduced in 2023. Belgium and Iceland won play-offs to stay up in the 2023/24 UEFA Women’s Nations League phase.
- Iceland had won all four of their previous competitive meetings with Northern Ireland without conceding a goal.
- Finland and Denmark have met four times in UEFA Women’s EURO final tournaments, all in the group stage. Denmark won 1-0 in 2022, it was 1-1 in 2013, and Finland won 1-0 in 2009 and 2-1 in 2005.
- Belgium and the Republic of Ireland have only met competitively in one previous tournament. Belgium won 1-0 away and 5-1 at home in Women’s EURO 1997 qualifying.
- Austria beat Czechia 2-0 in a 2023 friendly in Wiener Neustadt. They also met in Women’s EURO 2013 qualifying, Austria drawing 1-1 at home and winning 3-2 away.
League B/C ties
First legs: Friday 24 October
Kosovo 0-4 Türkiye
Cyprus 3-2 Albania
Second legs: Tuesday 28 October
Albania vs Cyprus (18:00)
Türkiye vs Kosovo (18:00)
All times CET
- Cyprus are aiming to be promoted to League B for the first time.
- Kosovo were in League B for the previous Women’s European Qualifiers phase.
- Albania beat Cyprus 2-0 away and 4-0 at home in Women’s EURO 2022 qualifying.
- Kosovo and Türkiye also met in Women’s EURO 2022 qualifying. Kosovo won 2-0 at home and drew 0-0 away.
