“I’LL HAVE ANOTHER beer if it’s a draw,” Carla Ward smiled.
The Irish boss was looking ahead to France and Netherlands’ clash after her side beat Poland again to boost their 2027 World Cup hopes.
Ireland had accrued six points from the decisive double-header in Group A2, with all eyes turning to Saturday’s later kick-off in Auxerre following the 1-0 win at Aviva Stadium.
France hit the front through Marie Antoinette-Katoto just before half-time, and appeared on course to return to top spot, but Wieke Kaptein ultimately hit back in the 76th minute for a Dutch draw.
Arjan Veurink’s side stay top by a single point, having beaten the top seeds 2-1 midweek. One point also separates France and Ireland ahead of the final window in June.
That beer was surely had, with Ward’s side all but wrapping up the all-important third place.
And who knows what could happen from here, in a group which is wide open?
Uefa.com.
Uefa.com.
- Fixtures -
Ireland v Netherlands, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 5 June
Poland v France, 5 June
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(Note: Denise O’Sullivan and Emily Murphy are suspended for the Dutch rematch.)
*****
France v Ireland, Grenoble, 9 June
Netherlands v Poland, 9 June
*****
Just the League A group winners qualify directly for Brazil 2027, with all other teams contesting the play-offs. Second- and third- place finishers have an easier route on paper, seeded and with home advantages. The fourth-placed team face higher-ranked teams sooner, and will also suffer relegation for the next Nations League campaign.
More on that later, let’s focus on World Cup qualification. While automatic qualification remains mathematically possible, two sets of two-legged play-offs between October and December is the most likely course for Ireland.
Round one is played in two paths, and determined by a draw.
Path 1: The four second-placed teams and four third-placed teams of League A play against the six first-placed teams and two best-ranked second-placed teams of League C.
The eight League A teams are seeded and play their second-leg matches at home.
Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Path 2: The four fourth-placed teams of League A and four first-placed teams of League B play against the four second-placed teams and four third-placed teams of League B.
The four fourth-placed teams from League A and four first-placed teams from League B are seeded and play their second leg matches at home.
The winners of round one progress to the second round, which is also determined by a draw, where the path 1 teams are seeded and play their second leg match at home.
So win that, and qualify?
Not exactly. The seven best-ranked round two play-off winners (according to the 2026 Women’s European qualifiers overall league rankings) qualify directly.
The one remaining round two play-off winner must navigate an intercontinental play-off tournament.
- Seeding stakes -
Tom Maher of The Halfway Line recently outlined the difference in second/third and fourth place, which shows how important completing the Poland double may prove to be.
(A higher finish is also likely to remove the possibility of facing Israel, which would bring another headache for the FAI.)
Why this Poland & Ireland double header is so important to both sides?
Both have a guaranteed play off spot but the difference in potential opponent on the seeded pathway & the unseeded is chilling.
Based on current league standings, Ireland would play one of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Hungary or Greece from League C in a semi-final, with Serbia, Austria, Ukraine and Poland again the only League A teams they could meet in the final.
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For now, gathering as many points as possible is paramount for league rankings, ie. achieving qualification through the play-offs rather than be the team heading to the inter-confederation tournament.
While Fifa world rankings are a separate matter, it’s worth nothing that Ireland climbed to 23rd this week. They moved up five places to their joint-highest ever of 22nd after Tuesday’s 3-2 win in Gdansk, but results elsewhere knocked them back a place on Saturday.
Maher also flagged that Ireland are the first side ever to start a League A campaign in pot four and go onto win two matches in the top-flight. While the Nations League system has only been in place since 2023 in the women’s game, this is a significant stat and further highlights the progress made under Ward.
- League A -
Barring two unlikely Poland wins in June, Ireland will finish at least third and secure their League A status for the next Nations League campaign.
They have yo-yo’d since 2023, starting in League B under Eileen Gleeson and achieving promotion with a 100% record before a baptism of fire in League A of the Euro 2025 qualifiers: five defeats, one win (over France).
They returned to League B for the 2025 Nations League, Ward’s first campaign in charge, where they needed a promotion/relegation play-off to squeeze past Belgium and return to the A ranks for this assault.
Staying put is crucial for Ireland’s development, as captain Katie McCabe explained this week.
“We’ve been up and down in the past, but for us to improve as a team we need to be challenging the best teams and playing the best teams in the world, and that’s what League A is all about.
“Of course it helps the play-off and the seeded and unseeded positions come the end of the year. But for us to improve as a team and really challenge each other and get ourselves out of our comfort zone, we need to be playing against these teams.”
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How does Ireland's World Cup qualifying group look ahead of June finale?
“I’LL HAVE ANOTHER beer if it’s a draw,” Carla Ward smiled.
The Irish boss was looking ahead to France and Netherlands’ clash after her side beat Poland again to boost their 2027 World Cup hopes.
Ireland had accrued six points from the decisive double-header in Group A2, with all eyes turning to Saturday’s later kick-off in Auxerre following the 1-0 win at Aviva Stadium.
France hit the front through Marie Antoinette-Katoto just before half-time, and appeared on course to return to top spot, but Wieke Kaptein ultimately hit back in the 76th minute for a Dutch draw.
Arjan Veurink’s side stay top by a single point, having beaten the top seeds 2-1 midweek. One point also separates France and Ireland ahead of the final window in June.
That beer was surely had, with Ward’s side all but wrapping up the all-important third place.
And who knows what could happen from here, in a group which is wide open?
- Fixtures -
(Note: Denise O’Sullivan and Emily Murphy are suspended for the Dutch rematch.)
*****
*****
Just the League A group winners qualify directly for Brazil 2027, with all other teams contesting the play-offs. Second- and third- place finishers have an easier route on paper, seeded and with home advantages. The fourth-placed team face higher-ranked teams sooner, and will also suffer relegation for the next Nations League campaign.
More on that later, let’s focus on World Cup qualification. While automatic qualification remains mathematically possible, two sets of two-legged play-offs between October and December is the most likely course for Ireland.
A reminder of the convoluted format, as per Uefa:
- Play-off push -
Round one is played in two paths, and determined by a draw.
Path 1: The four second-placed teams and four third-placed teams of League A play against the six first-placed teams and two best-ranked second-placed teams of League C.
The eight League A teams are seeded and play their second-leg matches at home.
Path 2: The four fourth-placed teams of League A and four first-placed teams of League B play against the four second-placed teams and four third-placed teams of League B.
The four fourth-placed teams from League A and four first-placed teams from League B are seeded and play their second leg matches at home.
The winners of round one progress to the second round, which is also determined by a draw, where the path 1 teams are seeded and play their second leg match at home.
So win that, and qualify?
Not exactly. The seven best-ranked round two play-off winners (according to the 2026 Women’s European qualifiers overall league rankings) qualify directly.
The one remaining round two play-off winner must navigate an intercontinental play-off tournament.
- Seeding stakes -
Tom Maher of The Halfway Line recently outlined the difference in second/third and fourth place, which shows how important completing the Poland double may prove to be.
(A higher finish is also likely to remove the possibility of facing Israel, which would bring another headache for the FAI.)
Based on current league standings, Ireland would play one of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Hungary or Greece from League C in a semi-final, with Serbia, Austria, Ukraine and Poland again the only League A teams they could meet in the final.
For now, gathering as many points as possible is paramount for league rankings, ie. achieving qualification through the play-offs rather than be the team heading to the inter-confederation tournament.
While Fifa world rankings are a separate matter, it’s worth nothing that Ireland climbed to 23rd this week. They moved up five places to their joint-highest ever of 22nd after Tuesday’s 3-2 win in Gdansk, but results elsewhere knocked them back a place on Saturday.
Maher also flagged that Ireland are the first side ever to start a League A campaign in pot four and go onto win two matches in the top-flight. While the Nations League system has only been in place since 2023 in the women’s game, this is a significant stat and further highlights the progress made under Ward.
- League A -
Barring two unlikely Poland wins in June, Ireland will finish at least third and secure their League A status for the next Nations League campaign.
They have yo-yo’d since 2023, starting in League B under Eileen Gleeson and achieving promotion with a 100% record before a baptism of fire in League A of the Euro 2025 qualifiers: five defeats, one win (over France).
They returned to League B for the 2025 Nations League, Ward’s first campaign in charge, where they needed a promotion/relegation play-off to squeeze past Belgium and return to the A ranks for this assault.
Staying put is crucial for Ireland’s development, as captain Katie McCabe explained this week.
“Of course it helps the play-off and the seeded and unseeded positions come the end of the year. But for us to improve as a team and really challenge each other and get ourselves out of our comfort zone, we need to be playing against these teams.”
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