Inauguration of 2027 World Cup Qualifiers: France and England Win Matches

The first round of European qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Cup provided many emotions, with the most action happening in Dublin. Ireland, carried by the support of their home crowd, took the lead after a goal from their leader, Katie McCabe. Clearly surprised, the French players struggled for a long time to break through the hosts' tight defense. However, the match was turned around by Melvine Malard, who came onto the pitch and in a short span of time scored twice, securing the 'Bleues' three valuable points on difficult ground. After the match, the Ireland coach did not hide her disappointment, claiming that her team deserved at least a draw after an even fight. The 2027 Women's Football World Cup will be the tenth edition of this tournament. The previous championship in 2023, held in Australia and New Zealand, was a breakthrough in terms of viewership and commercial interest. In another important match, the England team, led by Sarina Wiegman, ruthlessly exploited Ukraine's defensive weaknesses, winning 6:1. This was a clear signal from the current European champions that their goal is to dominate the qualifying group from the very start. Meanwhile, the Spanish women, the current world champions, confidently defeated Iceland, controlling the game from the first to the last minute. Swiss media, however, highlight the 2:0 victory over Northern Ireland, although commentators note that despite the favorable result, their national team must present higher technical quality in upcoming matches against stronger rivals. „I feel like somebody's stabbed me in the heart” — Marissa Sheva Further series of games are scheduled for the coming days, and group favorites like France and England have already built a points advantage from the start. The Polish representatives also began their campaign, which met with great interest from domestic fans following the table. Organizational aspects of the tournament are also emerging in public debate, especially in the context of upcoming matches involving the Israel team in Dublin, which forced the Garda to intensify actions in cooperation with Norwegian security services before the planned match. 8 minut — it took Melvine Malard to score two goals In summary, the start of the qualifiers went as expected in most groups, where the powerhouses of women's football added a full set of points to their account. Nevertheless, the attitude of Ireland or the solid play of Iceland show that the level of European women's football is evening out, and favorites cannot afford moments of distraction.