The European qualifying picture for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup shifted sharply after Matchday 5, with big wins, a major upset, and several groups left on a knife edge. Spain’s 4-0 defeat of England stood out as the round’s defining result, but it was only one part of a night that changed the mood across the continent.
Five days before the final group round, the stakes are now clear: some teams are chasing automatic momentum, others are fighting for position in the play-offs, and a few are trying to salvage belief after damaging defeats. The final set of fixtures on Tuesday will decide who stays alive in the race to Brazil and who moves forward with confidence.
The Results That Changed Everything
Spain produced the most forceful performance of Matchday 5, overpowering England 4-0 in Group A3. The result mattered not only because of the margin, but because it reversed the earlier meeting between the teams and gave Spain a commanding boost at exactly the right moment.
Several other European heavyweights also delivered controlled, professional wins. Germany defeated Norway 2-0, France handled Poland 2-0, and Italy responded with a convincing 3-0 victory over Serbia. Those results kept pressure on the top end of the standings without creating the same level of disruption that Spain’s win generated.
The most surprising result came from the Republic of Ireland, who beat the Netherlands 3-2 in one of the most notable upsets of the campaign. That result gave the Irish a major lift and complicated the path for a Dutch side that had expected a steadier climb through the group stage.
There were also several lopsided scorelines that underlined the depth of the field. Switzerland, Portugal, Scotland, and Belgium all posted emphatic wins, each scoring at least five goals and showing how quickly momentum can build when a team finds rhythm in front of goal.
How Matchday 5 Unfolded Across the Leagues
The structure of the qualifying campaign means that every league carries its own pressure point, and Matchday 5 delivered different kinds of drama in each one. League A featured the biggest headlines, League B mixed heavy wins with tighter contests, and League C offered a blend of stalemates and narrow margins that still matter in the final calculation.
League A: Pressure at the Top
In Group A1, Italy’s 3-0 win over Serbia and Denmark’s 2-1 victory over Sweden tightened the contest and ensured the final round will matter for both progression and seeding. Group A2 brought more intrigue, as France beat Poland and Ireland stunned the Netherlands in a result that may prove decisive for the shape of the group.
Group A3 was dominated by Spain’s rout of England, while Iceland also claimed a valuable 1-0 win over Ukraine. In Group A4, Austria edged Slovenia 1-0 and Germany took care of Norway, leaving the group balanced but still unresolved.
League B: Strong Finishes and One-Sided Nights
League B offered a wider spread of scorelines. Czechia drew with Albania, Montenegro shared points with Wales, and Türkiye edged Northern Ireland 2-1. The standout result in that tier was Switzerland’s 6-1 win over Malta, which was followed by another commanding performance from Portugal, who beat Latvia 5-0.
Scotland and Belgium were equally ruthless, each winning 6-0 against Israel and Luxembourg respectively. Finland also made a statement by beating Slovakia 4-0, keeping the group pressure high before the final round.
League C: Narrow Margins Still Matter
League C was less explosive, but that does not mean it lacked significance. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Lithuania drew 0-0, Moldova and Romania also finished level without goals, and Armenia shared a 1-1 result with Kazakhstan.
Several matches were settled by a single goal or a late push. Estonia beat Liechtenstein 5-0, Croatia won 1-0 against Kosovo, Hungary defeated Azerbaijan 2-1, North Macedonia got past Andorra, and the Faroe Islands won a high-scoring 3-2 contest in Georgia. Bulgaria also handled Gibraltar 3-1, which may still influence final positioning.
What Comes Next on Tuesday
The last round of group matches arrives on Tuesday, June 9, and it is the kind of schedule that rewards teams with both composure and depth. Several groups have multiple live scenarios, which means the evening is likely to produce a mix of tension, calculation, and late adjustments as results come in.
In Group A3, England face Ukraine while Spain travel to Iceland, creating a pair of matches that could still reshuffle the standings after Spain’s emphatic win over the Lionesses. Group A2 also carries real weight, with France meeting the Republic of Ireland after Ireland’s upset of the Netherlands added new uncertainty to the group.
Group A1 and Group A4 remain just as important, with Sweden facing Italy and Serbia meeting Denmark, while Norway take on Austria and Slovenia face Germany. Each of those matches could alter the final ranking order heading into the next phase.
The Full Matchday 6 Schedule
The fixtures below are listed by league and group, with all kick-off times in CET.
- Group A1: Sweden v Italy at 19:00, and Serbia v Denmark at 19:00.
- Group A2: France v Republic of Ireland at 21:00, and Netherlands v Poland at 21:00.
- Group A3: England v Ukraine at 21:00, and Iceland v Spain at 21:00.
- Group A4: Norway v Austria at 18:00, and Slovenia v Germany at 18:00.
- Group B1: Wales v Czechia at 19:00, and Albania v Montenegro at 19:00.
- Group B2: Northern Ireland v Switzerland at 19:00, and Malta v Türkiye at 19:00.
- Group B3: Finland v Portugal at 19:00, and Latvia v Slovakia at 19:00.
- Group B4: Luxembourg v Belgium at 19:00, and Israel v Scotland at 19:00.
- Group C1: Estonia v Bosnia and Herzegovina at 19:00, and Lithuania v Liechtenstein at 19:00.
- Group C2: Croatia v Bulgaria at 19:00, and Gibraltar v Kosovo at 19:00.
- Group C3: Hungary v Andorra at 19:00, and North Macedonia v Azerbaijan at 19:00.
- Group C4: Georgia v Greece at 19:00.
- Group C5: Cyprus v Moldova at 19:00.
- Group C6: Belarus v Armenia at 19:00.
The Play-off Path After Group Play Ends
Once the groups finish on June 9, the teams that have not secured a direct route will move into the play-off phase. The draw for those ties is scheduled for June 18, which means there is little time between the end of group competition and the start of the next pressure-filled stage.
The play-offs are set to unfold in two rounds before the final inter-confederation phase. Round 1 will be played over two legs from October 7 to October 13, 2026, while Round 2 will run from November 25 to December 5, 2026. The inter-confederation play-offs follow in February 2027, offering one last chance to reach the tournament in Brazil.
Why Brazil 2027 Raises the Stakes Even More
The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will take place in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, 2027, making it the first Women’s World Cup held in South America. That milestone adds extra weight to every qualifier, because teams are not simply chasing a place at another tournament; they are trying to reach a landmark edition of the event.
For Spain, England, France, Germany, Italy, and the teams chasing them, Matchday 5 was a reminder that reputation alone does not decide qualification. The final round will bring clarity, but it will also leave a few nations with difficult questions about what comes next after the group stage ends.
