Israel Women Draw Switzerland in World Cup Playoff Path

Israel’s women’s national football team has been drawn against Switzerland in the first round of the Women’s World Cup qualifying playoff, with a route still available to reach the 2027 tournament in Brazil. Israel finished third in its League B group, which sent it down to League C in the UEFA Women’s Nations League but also earned it a place in the World Cup playoff system.

The draw, held on Thursday, paired Menachem Koretzky’s side with a tough opponent. Switzerland has already appeared in two World Cups and finished first in Group B2 ahead of Turkey, Northern Ireland and Malta. Israel had known it could face either a team relegated from League A or a League B winner, making a difficult matchup likely.

The playoff tie will be played over two legs, home and away, with Switzerland hosting the second leg as the higher-seeded team. The winner will advance to the final playoff round, where it will meet the winner of Austria against Kosovo. From that stage, seven of the eight winners will qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup, while the lowest-ranked winner will still need to play an intercontinental playoff.

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