Denmark, Iceland and Wales will be Italy’s opponents in Group 3 of the UEFA Women's Nations League. Today’s draw in Nyon, watched closely by head coach Andrea Soncin, involved all 54 teams competing in the third edition of the tournament. The competition kicks off in February, with the Azzurre aiming to reach the Finals for the first time. Qualification would be a major achievement and would also secure the team a place at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The Azzurre, who face Finland on 1 and 5 December in a decisive showdown for a place at the World Cup, will therefore meet two familiar opponents from their previous Nations League campaign: Denmark and Wales. Soncin’s side lost 3-1 to Denmark in La Spezia before bouncing back with an emphatic 3-0 victory in the return fixture. The teams subsequently drew twice when they encountered each other in World Cup qualifying, with Denmark finishing above Italy to win the group and book their place in Brazil. The Azzurre also recorded two victories over Wales, adding to their previous wins against them in 1978, 2018 and 2019. Their most recent meeting with Iceland, meanwhile, came at the European Championship four years ago and ended in a 1-1 draw.

“Knowing who we’ll be facing is exciting and motivating,” said Soncin. “The anticipation surrounding this draw brings us even closer to our first major objective: securing our place in Brazil with our intensity, solidity and consistency. Then we can turn our attention to Los Angeles and the unique experience of playing at the Olympics. We know Denmark and Wales very well, but this will be my first time facing Iceland. Every match will be intense and difficult because the standard has risen considerably. We'll face talented teams, but we’re ready and confident in our own abilities. We'll aim to win every game, just as we’ve done for the past three years.”

Only the winners of the four League A groups will advance to the semifinals, thus securing qualification for the Olympic Games. The group stage, which runs from late February to June, will also determine promotion and relegation between the leagues ahead of qualifying for EURO 2029.

LEAGUE A FORMAT Each team will play every other side in its group twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams in each group will stay in League A for qualifying for the 15th edition of the European Championship. The third-placed teams will compete in promotion/relegation play-offs against the runners-up from each League B group, with the winners competing in League A and the losers in League B. The fourth-placed teams will be automatically relegated to League B.

LEAGUE A GROUPS

Group 1: Spain, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland
Group 2: France, England, Austria, Portugal
Group 3: Denmark, Italy, Iceland, Wales
Group 4: Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Scotland
 

SCHEDULE

Group stage
Matchdays 1 and 2: 23 February–6 March 2027
Matchdays 3 and 4: 13–24 April 2027
Matchdays 5 and 6: 7–15 June 2027

 

Finals

Draw: 18 June 2027 (TBC)
Semifinals (home and away): 4–12 October 2027
Final and third-place play-off (home and away): 23 November–4 December 2027

Promotion/relegation play-offs

Draw: 18 June 2027 (TBC)
Matches (home and away): 4–12 October 2027