Women’s World Cup 2027 play-off tournament
Three of the 32 places at the Women’s World Cup 2027 are still unclaimed. They will be decided by a two-phase play-off tournament running from November 2026 to March 2027.
Preliminary phase
Six teams contest the preliminary phase during the international window from Tuesday the 24th of November to Saturday the 5th of December 2026. Each team plays three matches, and the top two overall advance to the final phase. Teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn against each other.
| Pot | Teams |
|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan |
| Pot 2 | South Africa, Papua New Guinea |
| Pot 3 | Ghana, Ecuador |
The pots were set by the world ranking as it stood on 16 June 2026. The draw was held in Zurich on 20 August 2026.
Final phase
The final phase runs from Tuesday the 23rd of February to Saturday the 6th of March 2027. The two teams that come through the preliminary phase join four teams that enter at this stage, making six in total. They are split into three single-match paths, and the winner of each path takes one of the three remaining places in Brazil.
What this means for the tournament
Until the play-off tournament finishes in March 2027, three of the eight groups will have an unfilled slot. The group draw and the full fixture list follow from there — see the tournament hub for confirmed dates.