Israel Women Draw Switzerland in World Cup Qualification Playoff

Israel’s women’s national soccer team has been drawn against Switzerland in the first round of the women’s World Cup qualifying playoff. Israel finished third in its League B group in the Nations League, which sent it down to League C, but still earned a place in the playoff for the World Cup in Brazil.

The draw, held on Thursday, paired Menachem Koretzki’s side with a tough opponent: Switzerland, a former two-time World Cup participant that finished first in League B2 ahead of Turkey, Northern Ireland and Malta. Israel knew it would face either a team relegated from League A or a League B group winner, so a difficult matchup was expected.

The playoff will be played over two legs, home and away, with Switzerland hosting the second leg because it is the seeded team. The winner will advance to the final playoff round, where it will meet the winner of Austria against Kosovo. Of the eight winners from the second round, seven will qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup, while the lowest-ranked team will have to play an additional intercontinental playoff.

The first playoff round is scheduled for October, and the second round will take place at the end of November and into early December.