Northern Ireland's women's team is set for a gruelling test as they take on Portugal in their opening play-off round for the 2027 World Cup. It's an uphill battle, no question – they've been hammered twice by Portugal already during Euro 2025 qualifying and will head into this tie with odds firmly stacked against them.
The Republic of Ireland, who sensationally qualified for their first-ever World Cup in 2023, will face a more winnable encounter against Kazakhstan. Carla Ward's side will be fancied to progress from the first round, especially with the advantage of hosting the second leg at home. A successful outing would set up a tougher test against either Belgium or Poland as they bid for back-to-back World Cup appearances.
For Northern Ireland, this path is looking increasingly treacherous. Not only are their European opponents a cut above them, but the risk of an inter-continental play-off – potentially in March next year – adds an extra layer of complexity to their ambition of reaching a first-ever World Cup. Currently ranked 50th globally, they face a daunting prospect of being pitted against teams from other confederations if they make it through this initial round.
Portugal have already demonstrated their superiority over Northern Ireland with a 4-0 thrashing in Leiria during Euro 2025 qualifying, although the return fixture at Mourneview Park was slightly more respectable – a 2-1 win for Portugal. If Michael McArdle's side can somehow conjure an upset, they'll be up against familiar foes.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland's journey to Kazakhstan is far from straightforward, but their opponents offer a glimmer of hope. Success there would set up a mouth-watering second-round clash against either Belgium or Poland – two teams that have already given them cause for concern in recent years. The Republic has shown it can hold its own at this level, having secured promotion to League A last year with a late goal against Belgium and also boasting a positive record against Poland.
The first round of play-off ties kicks off in October, followed by the second rounds in November and December – both nations will have their work cut out if they're to secure that coveted World Cup spot in Brazil.