Road ToThe World Cup
⌕
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027

Portugal beats Northern Ireland 7–1 on aggregate; Iceland stands between it and a 2027 World Cup place

A 3–1 home win completed Portugal's first-round play-off victory. The team must still get past Iceland to keep its route to Brazil 2027 open.

Italy and Portugal women's teams playing at the Stade de Genève in July 2025
Archive: Italy women against Portugal at the Stade de Genève on 7 July 2025. Photo: Amanda Slater, CC BY-SA 4.0. This does not depict the Belarus play-off. · Amanda Slater / CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display.

Portugal is through to the second round of Europe’s 2027 Women’s World Cup play-offs after beating Northern Ireland 3–1 in the return leg and 7–1 on aggregate. The result keeps Portugal’s hopes alive; it does not give the team a place at the finals.

What Portugal secured

Portugal took a 4–0 lead into the home leg and completed the tie with another win on 13 October. Sixteen teams survived the first round of the European play-offs.

Iceland is next

UEFA has paired Portugal with Iceland in a two-legged second-round tie, scheduled within the 26 November–5 December window. Portugal is listed to play the first leg at home; the precise match dates were still to be confirmed in UEFA’s round-up.

Eight teams will win second-round ties. Seven of those winners will qualify directly for Brazil 2027 according to UEFA’s overall qualifying rankings, while the remaining winner will enter the intercontinental play-offs. Portugal therefore has another tie to navigate before its World Cup destination is known.