ByLauren McCann

BBC Sport NI Journalist

Published

29 minutes ago

The anticipation builds for Northern Ireland as they near learning their 2027 Women's World Cup play-off semi-final rivals.

Michael McArdle's squad ended Group B2 in third spot after securing two wins from six outings - both versus Malta - to claim a play-off berth and hold their League B status.

Qualifying for a first World Cup remains a major challenge for NI as they enter unseeded for the two-legged semi-final and final stages.

Progress through those ties may still fall short since the lowest-ranked of Europe's eight play-off victors advances to inter-confederation play-offs next year, with NI a strong candidate for that position.

Northern Ireland have thrived as underdogs before, upsetting expectations in play-offs to reach Euro 2022, so McArdle's emerging team aims to mirror that achievement.

BBC Sport NI reviews the possible semi-final opponents before Thursday's draw.

Slovenia

World ranking: 38th World Cup qualifying group: Fourth in Group A4 Last World Cup: Never qualified

Slovenia share Northern Ireland's lack of World Cup experience and rank as the lowest-rated possible opponent, yet they pose a stern test.

Sasa Kolman's team claimed one victory from six Group A4 matches, ending fourth and dropping back to League B.

They competed in a challenging section alongside Austria - whom they defeated 1-0 early on - plus Norway and Germany.

Slovenia crushed the Republic of Ireland 4-0 in a Nations League fixture during February 2025, highlighting their ability to capitalize on opponents' lapses.

Poland

World ranking: 29th World Cup qualifying group: Fourth in Group A2 Last World Cup: Never qualified

Northern Ireland already know Poland well from last year's Nations League encounters.

Under former manager Tanya Oxtoby, NI fell 2-0 in Gdansk and 4-0 at Seaview, where Poland displayed sharp finishing in the return leg.

They feature one of the planet's top forwards in Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor, boasting 71 goals across 110 internationals.

Nina Patalon's side struggled in qualifying, finishing bottom of Group A2 without a single win from six games.

They earned one point versus the Netherlands but lost both fixtures to the Republic of Ireland, resulting in relegation to League B.

Poland target their debut World Cup and net plenty of goals while conceding frequently, offering NI some hope.

Serbia

World ranking: 35th World Cup qualifying group: Fourth in Group A1 Last World Cup: Never qualified

Serbia also collected just a single point from six Group A1 matches, placing fourth and suffering relegation to League B.

Lidija Stojkanovic's outfit drew with Sweden yet suffered heavy defeats to Denmark and Italy.

Aiming for a first major tournament appearance, they remain a difficult proposition for NI's youthful group still unable to escape League B.

Among the options, they could prove one of the more favorable draws.

Ukraine

World ranking: 34th World Cup qualifying group: Fourth in Group A3 Last World Cup: Never qualified

Ukraine faced a demanding Group A3, losing all six games while scoring twice and conceding 17 times, finishing fourth and dropping to League B.

Like several other potential foes, they battled a tough pool featuring World Cup holders Spain, Euro champions England and Iceland.

A matchup with Ukraine would likely motivate Iya Andrushchak's players seeking payback after NI's 4-1 aggregate win in the Euro 2022 play-off under Kenny Shiels.

Switzerland

World ranking: 26th World Cup qualifying group: First in Group B2 Last World Cup: 2023

Drawing Switzerland would give Northern Ireland ideal preparation since the teams already met twice in qualifying.

The Swiss triumphed 2-0 in the first group match and completed an unbeaten run with a 2-1 victory over NI at Mourneview Park.

Rafel Navarro's squad won five of six games to top the section and earn promotion back to League A.

They fielded a reserve lineup against NI in Lurgan yet still prevailed comfortably, blending seasoned performers with emerging talents like Barcelona's Sydney Schertenleib.

Switzerland appeared at the World Cup in 2015 and 2023, reaching the last 16 both times, and will target a third appearance in Brazil via the play-offs.

Portugal

World ranking: 22nd World Cup qualifying group: First in Group B3 Last World Cup: 2023

Portugal stand as the top-ranked side NI could meet and share recent history from Euro 2025 qualifying.

They won 4-0 in Leiria and edged a 2-1 result at Mourneview during 2024.

Francisco Neto's team headed Group B3 to return to League A, claiming five wins from six and netting 17 goals.

They boast a seasoned squad including fit-again Barcelona forward Kika Nazareth, who scored six times in qualifying.

NI will hope to avoid this experienced side with its strong record of major tournament participation.

Scotland

World ranking: 25th World Cup qualifying group: First in Group B4 Last World Cup: 2019

A tie with Scotland would carry extra significance given McArdle's Scottish background and prior roles there.

The 46-year-old from Glasgow, confirmed as Tanya Oxtoby's successor in March, remains based in Scotland for his first full-time senior post with NI.

He previously headed women's elite football at the SFA and managed Scotland's Under-23s plus the senior team briefly last year before Melissa Andreatta took charge.

Under Andreatta, Scotland topped Group B4 with four wins and two draws from six to secure promotion to League A.

Scotland seek a second World Cup appearance after 2019 and scored freely with 24 goals, including doubles over Israel and Luxembourg.

Captain Caroline Weir, now at Lyon after leaving Real Madrid, poses the main danger with 10 goals in six games alongside other seasoned players.

Wales

World ranking: 31st World Cup qualifying group: First in Group B1 Last World Cup: Never qualified

Wales aim to build on their Euro 2025 debut by targeting a first World Cup, though this event may arrive early for their promising young group.

Rhian Wilkinson's side maximized their chances by winning Group B1 with four victories from six to gain promotion to League A.

They managed without retired influential player Jess Fishlock but saw Hannah Cain score six times.

Attention also surrounds 19-year-old Mared Griffiths, who netted three goals in the campaign to reach four in 10 Wales appearances.

A clash between these two emerging teams would promise an intriguing contest.