FIFA has confirmed the preliminary phase fixtures for the 2027 Women’s World Cup Playoff Tournament, giving South Africa and Ghana a clearer route towards next year’s tournament in Brazil.
The latest development follows FIFA’s unveiling of the full 2027 Women’s World Cup match schedule, which confirmed that Brazil will host 64 matches across eight cities from June 24 to July 25, 2027.
The tournament will open at the iconic Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, which will also stage the final.
The Maracanã is set to become only the third stadium to host both a men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup final, adding another historic dimension to the first Women’s World Cup to be staged in South America.
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South Africa have been drawn in Group A alongside Uzbekistan, while Ghana are in Group C with Ecuador. Papua New Guinea and Chinese Taipei complete the six-team preliminary field.
The full fixtures are:
Matchday 1
- Uzbekistan vs Papua New Guinea
- Chinese Taipei vs South Africa
- Ghana vs Ecuador
Matchday 2
- Uzbekistan vs Ghana
- South Africa vs Ecuador
- Papua New Guinea vs Chinese Taipei
Matchday 3
- South Africa vs Uzbekistan
- Papua New Guinea vs Ghana
- Chinese Taipei vs Ecuador
The preliminary phase will be played between November 24 and December 5, 2026, with each team playing three matches. The top two sides will progress to the final phase.
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The two teams emerging from the preliminary phase will join four nations that qualify directly for the final phase.
Those six teams will then be divided into three paths, with each path decided by a single match tie. The three winners will claim the final three places at the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The final phase is scheduled for the February 23-March 6, 2027 international window.
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