Explainer: Ireland’s updated route to the World Cup as play-off final position secured with win over Slovakia

Updated 11 September

Denise O’Sullivan’s goal was enough for the Republic of Ireland to earn a 1-0 win away to Slovakia to secure the Girls in Green a route directly into the play-off finals for the World Cup (by-passing the first round of the play-offs). 

How do the UEFA play-offs work?

There were nine runners up from the UEFA qualifying groups that qualified for the UEFA play-offs which has two rounds - semi-finals (round 1) and finals (round 2).

Ireland were one of the three best three runners-up from the groups and progressed directly to the play-off final round along with Switzerland and Iceland.

The remaining six runners-up (Austria, Scotland, Wales, Belgium, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina) were paired off in play-off semi-finals to provide the three teams to progress into play-off finals. 

The three winners from the semi-final round (from matches taking place on 6 October) and the three teams who progress directly to play-off final round (including Ireland) will compete in three single-leg play-off finals. 

The ties were determined by an open draw involving all six sides with no seeding. The first team drawn out for each tie will have home advantage:

First Round

Scotland (23) -v- Austria (20)

Wales (30) -v- Bosnia and Herzegovina (63)

Portugal (27) -v- Belgium (19)

Second round

Portugal/Belgium -v- Iceland (14)

Scotland/Austria -v- Republic of Ireland (26)

Switzerland (21) -v- Wales/- Bosnia and Herzegovina

Those final matches are set for October 11 and will produce three play-off winners.

The two play-off winners from the second round with the highest ranking based on results in the qualifying group stage against the sides ranked first, third, fourth and fifth in their group and the play-off final (the play-off semi final does not form part of the ranking) will qualify automatically for the World Cup due to take place next year in Australia and New Zealand.

The remaining play-off winner will compete as UEFA’s single representative in an inter-confederation FIFA play-off mini-tournament in February 2023 in New Zealand.

To be ranked in the top two, Ireland need to win their play-off in 90 or 120 minutes and hope either Switzerland lose (or go through on penalties) or Iceland lose (or go through on penalties).

How does the FIFA play-off work?

The team from UEFA will compete with nine others for the final three qualifying spots for the tournament at a mini-tournament held at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton/Kirikiriroa and the North Harbour Stadium in Auckland/Timaki Makaurau.

The play-off tournament will be used as a test event in New Zealand for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

New Zealand and an additional international team will be invited to participate in friendly matches against the teams in Group 1 and Group 2, thereby ensuring that all teams play two matches during the play-off tournament.

The nine teams who will make up the tournament with the European side are listed here along with their confederation and world ranking: Chinese Taipei (AFC - 38), Chile (CONMEBOL - 39), Thailand (AFC - 41), Papua New Guinea (Oceania - 49), Paraguay (CONMEBOL - 51), Haiti (CONCACAF - 56), Panama (CONCACAF - 57), Cameroon (CAF - 59) and Senegal (CAF - 84), 

Four teams will be seeded in the tournament based on the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking prior to the play-off draw, with a maximum of one seeded team per confederation.

The European team is likely to be seeded in the tournament based on the current world rankings. Only Bosnia are currently ranked lower than the other participants for the play-off tournament.

The Republic of Ireland are currently 26 in the FIFA rankings, significantly higher than any other team that will be in the play-off and based on the current rankings if Ireland end up in this FIFA play-off the seeds will be:

Seed 1: Ireland (UEFA - 26)

Seed 2: Chinese Taipei (AFC - 38)

Seed 3: Chile (CONMEBOL - 39)

Seed 4: Papua New Guinea (Oceania – 49) [Thailand are ranked higher (41) than Papua New Guinea but there can be only one seed per confederation]

In Group 1, comprising three teams, seed 1 will play for a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup against the winners of the knockout game involving the two unseeded teams in the group.

In Group 2, comprising three teams, seed 2 will play for a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup against the winners of the knockout game involving the two unseeded teams in the group.

In Group 3, comprising four teams, seeds 3 and seed 4 will play against the two unseeded teams in the group, with the two winners then playing for a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Should Ireland end up in the play-off they will be the top ranked team and so would be drawn in Group 1 avoiding seeds - based on current rankings - Chinese Taipei, Chile and Papua New Guinea.

They would play a friendly against New Zealand in Waikato Stadium in Wellington first on Friday 17 February and would then play the winner of the knockout game involving two of the non-seeded team in Waikato on Wednesday 22 Feburary.

As teams from the same confederation cannot play one another, it means if Ireland make the play-off they would play against the winner of a tie involving a pair of teams from Thailand (AFC), Paraguay (CONMEBOL), Haiti/Panama (CONCACAF), Cameroon/Senegal (CAF).

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— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) September 11, 2022