Women's European Qualifiers: England and Germany Shine
The third matchday of the Women's European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup delivered statement wins, late drama and a few power shifts that will echo all the way to Brazil. England and Germany stayed perfect in League A. Netherlands finally felled France. Denmark stunned Sweden in stoppage time. Across the continent, the hierarchy creaked.
At stake: four automatic tickets to the finals, and positioning for a sprawling play-off route that will spit out seven more European qualifiers and one inter-confederation hopeful. Every point matters. On nights like this, every tackle does too.
Wembley belongs to England – and Hemp
Under the arch, in front of a record European Women's World Cup qualifying crowd of 62,306, England landed the kind of win that shapes a campaign.
Three minutes in, Spain failed to clear an Alex Greenwood corner. The ball hung in the air for a heartbeat, then Lauren Hemp hooked it in as Alexia Putellas tried desperately to sweep it away. One half-chance, one ruthless finish. European champions 1, world champions 0.
From there, Wembley crackled. Hemp almost doubled the lead when Lucy Bronze, full of mischief on the overlap, back-heeled a return pass into her path, only for the post to intervene. Spain, jolted, began to probe. The second half turned into a test of nerve.
Olga Carmona rattled the underside of the bar. Vicky López clipped the post with a low effort as Spain circled. England, though, refused to fold. Hannah Hampton flung herself to her right late on to deny substitute Edna Imade and protect a victory that sends the Lionesses three points clear in Group A3.
On a night when Keira Walsh quietly reached 100 caps, England’s performance felt anything but routine. It felt like a marker.
In the group’s other game, Iceland finally got moving. Against fellow strugglers Ukraine, they edged a tight contest 1-0. Roksolana Kravchuk had the best first-half chance after pouncing on a loose back-pass, but Cecilía Rúnarsdóttir stood tall. Early in the second half, a trademark long throw from Sveindís Jónsdóttir caused chaos, Glódís Viggósdóttir flicked on, and Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir headed in what proved the winner. Not pretty. Just precious.
Germany ruthless, Norway respond
Germany are starting to look ominous in Group A4. After big wins over Slovenia and Norway last month, they dismantled Austria 5-1 to maintain their perfect start and a three-point cushion at the top.
Pressure built from the opening whistle. It finally broke Austria in the 17th minute when Nicole Anyomi scrambled the ball over the line. After the break, Vivien Endemann arrived at the back post to meet a deep Jule Brand cross for 2-0, and Germany hit full stride.
Sjoeke Nüsken glanced in a Brand corner at the near post on 68 minutes. Brand then took centre stage herself, finishing via a deflection after a slick passing move that carved Austria open. Chiara D'Angelo briefly interrupted the procession, finishing a rapid counterattack to score the first goal Germany have conceded in this group. Any hope of a late twist vanished when Lea Schüller, just on for Anyomi, slammed in off the inside of the post.
Germany look like a team already thinking about Brazil.
Norway, thrashed 4-0 at home by Germany last month, needed a response. They got it – emphatically – in a 5-0 win over Slovenia that keeps them three points behind the leaders.
Ada Hegerberg, on her 99th cap, took charge. After a string of first-half chances went begging, she finally turned in Caroline Graham Hansen’s incisive pass in added time for her 53rd international goal. The dam broke.
Julie Blakstad hammered in the second in the 69th minute after being set up by her Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Signe Gaupset. Graham Hansen smashed in the third high into the net. Synne Jensen and Karina Sævik combined for the fourth, and Hegerberg added her second to complete Slovenia’s misery and pull them three points behind the Norwegians.
Denmark break Swedish hearts, Italy hit six
Group A1 may yet be one of the tightest, but Denmark seized control in the most dramatic fashion in Gothenburg.
Sweden, without injured star Kosovare Asllani and fielding debutant Sofia Reidy, still started sharply. In the eighth minute, Monica Jusu Bah finished confidently after linking up with her Häcken club-mate Felicia Schröder, who had already struck the post. Stina Blackstenius then headed against the woodwork. Sweden looked in command.
Denmark refused to bow. Just after the half-hour, Cecilie Fløe slipped a pass into Pernille Harder, who levelled with the kind of composure that has defined her career. The captain later limped off in the second half, a worrying sight, but her replacement would write the final line.
Deep into added time, Fløe threaded another through ball, this time to Janni Thomsen. She raced clear, steadied herself, and rolled in a stoppage-time winner that silenced Sweden and lifted Denmark three points clear at the top.
Italy, meanwhile, stormed back into the picture with a ruthless 6-0 demolition of Serbia that leaves them level on points with Sweden and three clear of the hosts.
Cristiana Girelli opened the scoring on 20 minutes, heading in Manuela Giugliano’s free-kick. Elisabetta Oliviero doubled the lead with a precise finish inside the far post after a neat exchange of passes. Just before the interval, Martina Lenzini marked the night with her first Italy goal, turning in from a Giugliano corner.
Serbia never recovered. Arianna Caruso struck from distance after the hour to stretch the lead. Late on, substitute Sofia Cantore curled in a stylish effort inside the post, and Giada Greggi added the sixth to leave Serbia stranded three points adrift of third.
Dutch breakthrough, Irish lifeline
In Group A2, the balance of power shifted. Netherlands finally beat France for the first time in more than a decade, a 2-1 victory that ended Les Bleues’ perfect run and lifted the hosts a point clear at the top.
The night belonged, in part, to a teenager. Just 11 minutes into her senior international debut, 19-year-old Renee van Asten reacted quickest to a Lynn Wilms free-kick and fired Netherlands in front. A new name on the big stage, a huge goal in a heavyweight contest.
France responded after the break. A Sandy Baltimore cross caused chaos and Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, usually so assured, turned the ball into her own net. At 1-1, the visitors sensed blood and pushed for a second.
That ambition cost them. From a swift Dutch counter launched by Wieke Kaptein, Esmee Brugts arrived to bury what would be the winner. One incisive move, one cold finish, and a long French unbeaten run against the Dutch was over.
Behind them, the Republic of Ireland finally ignited their campaign, climbing to third with a breathless 3-2 win away to Poland.
Ireland struck early. On 12 minutes, Denise O'Sullivan picked out Marissa Sheva, who cut inside and beat Kinga Szemik. Eight minutes later, Katie McCabe – who else? – lashed a stunning volley from outside the box after a corner was only half-cleared. At 2-0, Ireland looked comfortable.
Poland dragged themselves back into it just before half-time. Tanja Pawollek rose highest to head in Paulina Tomasiak's cross from a short corner routine. The tension cranked up again.
Ireland answered. Shortly before the hour, Sheva found the top corner from a Murphy pass to restore a two-goal cushion. Ewa Pajor, ever dangerous, chipped in a fine finish 12 minutes from time to make it 3-2 and set up a fraught finale. McCabe then fired a late penalty over the bar, but Ireland clung on for their first points of the group and a vital leap over Poland.
League B: Switzerland and Portugal stay perfect, Scotland dig deep
Drop down to League B and the stakes are different, but the intensity is not. Promotion, seeding, and Nations League futures are all on the line.
Switzerland stayed perfect in Group B2 with a 3-1 win over Türkiye that moved them three points clear at the top. Northern Ireland kept pace in their own way, sweeping Malta aside 4-0.
In Group B3, Portugal maintained their own flawless record with a controlled 3-0 victory in Latvia, while Finland edged a lively 4-2 contest against Slovakia.
Group B4 brought late drama. Scotland, staring at defeat, salvaged a 1-1 draw against Belgium thanks to Kathleen McGovern’s equaliser deep into added time. That goal keeps Scotland ahead of the Red Flames on goal difference. Earlier, Israel had crushed Luxembourg 6-0 to underline their progress.
Group B1 remains finely poised. Czechia hammered Montenegro 5-0 and Wales brushed aside Albania 4-0, leaving the two sides locked together on points, goal difference and goals scored. The margins could hardly be thinner.
League C: perfect starts and new leaders
League C may not command the headlines, but its storylines are just as sharp.
Kosovo made it three wins from three in Group C2 with a 3-1 victory in Bulgaria, tightening their grip on the section. Croatia edged Gibraltar 1-0 to keep the pressure on.
Greece matched Kosovo’s perfect record in Group C4, their 3-2 triumph in the Faroe Islands taking them nine points clear and firmly in control.
In Group C6, Belarus boast a perfect six points from two games, while Group C3 has Hungary out in front after a 5-0 dismantling of North Macedonia, with Azerbaijan winning 3-1 in Andorra to stay in the chase.
Group C1 produced a twist. Lithuania climbed to the top with a 2-0 win that ended Bosnia and Herzegovina’s unbeaten start, while Estonia edged Liechtenstein 2-1.
Moldova and Cyprus, meanwhile, shared a goalless draw in Group C5, a single point that may yet matter when promotion and seeding are finally decided.
The format is unforgiving. Only the four League A group winners walk straight into the World Cup. Thirty-two more nations – 12 from League A, 12 from League B, eight from League C – will be thrown into play-offs at the end of the year for seven more European spots and one ticket to the inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027.
Promotion, relegation, and Nations League status all ride alongside World Cup dreams. The qualifiers resume on Saturday, with the last two June matchdays set to sharpen the picture.
England, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Portugal, Kosovo, Greece – they’ve all made an early grab for control.
How many of them will still be out in front when the road to Brazil starts to narrow?
