England and Spain drawn together in 2027 Women's World Cup qualifiers

World Cup holders Spain and beaten finalists England will meet in the 2027 Women's World Cup qualifiers following the draw held in Nyon, Switzerland on Tuesday.

Spain won their first major title when they beat England 1-0 in the 2023 final in Sydney, while England beat the Spanish in a penalty shootout to retain their European Championship crown in this year's final in Basel.

The pair were drawn together in Group A3 alongside Iceland and Ukraine. Twice champions Germany will face Norway, Austria and Slovenia in Group A4, while France and Netherlands will clash in Group A2 along with Poland and Ireland.

The 2027 World Cup will be held in Brazil and UEFA has 11 qualification spots available. An additional European nation could also qualify through the intercontinental playoffs.

Only the four group winners in each League A group will qualify automatically, with the other teams in League A guaranteed a playoff spot. Teams from Leagues B and C can only qualify via the playoffs.

Qualification matches begin on March 3.

League A

Group A1: Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Serbia

Group A2: France, Netherlands, Poland, Ireland

Group A3: Spain, England, Iceland, Ukraine

Group A4: Germany, Norway, Austria, Slovenia

League B

Group B1: Wales, Czechia, Albania, Montenegro

Group B2: Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Turkey, Malta

Group B3: Portugal, Finland, Slovakia, Latvia

Group B4: Belgium, Scotland, Israel, Luxembourg

League C

Group C1: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein

Group C2: Croatia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Gibraltar

Group C3: Hungary, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Andorra

Group C4: Greece, Faroe Islands, Georgia

Group C5: Romania, Cyprus, Moldova

Group C6: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia REUTERS