The World Cup play-off draw will be held tomorrow, Thursday 18 June (12:00 CEST, live on uefa.com and Vivo Azzurro TV), at UEFA headquarters in Nyon. The play-offs will determine the final seven European qualification places – plus one spot in the intercontinental play-offs – for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027.

A total of 32 teams will compete across two knockout rounds, each played over two legs. Italy, along with the other runners-up and third-placed teams from League A qualifying groups, will be among the seeded nations in Path 1. The Azzurre will face one of the group winners or best runners-up from League C on 9 and 13 October, with the second leg played at home. Potential opponents include Hungary, Greece, Romania, Belarus, Kosovo, Lithuania, Croatia and Kazakhstan.

The eight winners from the first round will progress to the second stage, where they will meet the winners from Path 2 over two legs on 1 and 5 December. Path 2 consists of the fourth-placed teams from League A alongside the first, second and third-placed sides from League B. Thursday’s draw will also determine the pairings for the second-round play-offs.

The seven highest-ranked winners from the second round, based on the overall standings of the European Women’s Qualifiers, will secure direct qualification for the tenth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The eighth team – which cannot be Italy, as the Azzurre are already guaranteed to finish among the top seven-ranked play-off winners – will instead enter the intercontinental play-offs in February 2027.

PLAY OFF PATHS

PATH 1 – ROUND 1

Seeded teams (League A runners-up and third-placed teams): England, Norway, Netherlands, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Iceland, Austria.

Unseeded teams (League C group winners and two best runners-up): Hungary, Greece, Romania, Belarus, Kosovo, Lithuania, Croatia, Kazakhstan.

PATH 2 – ROUND 1

Seeded teams (League A fourth-placed teams and League B group winners): Slovenia, Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Portugal, Scotland, Wales.

Unseeded teams (League B runners-up and third-placed teams): Finland, Belgium, Turkey, Czechia, Albania, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Israel.