Football · Nyon
Spain opens Women's Nations League defence against Norway, Ireland and Switzerland
Spain was drawn into Group A1 on 3 November in Nyon, alongside Switzerland, which returns to League A after promotion. The league phase runs from February to June 2027, and the winners of each League A group reach the finals and an Olympic place.
AI text based on reports by rts.ch, RTVE.es, EL PAÍS and other publishers. Published . How it is made
For membersThe first 30 seconds for everyone. Synthetic voice (AI).
In brief
Spain, the 2024 and 2025 champions, was drawn on 3 November 2026 in Nyon with Norway, the Republic of Ireland and Switzerland, with the league phase starting on 23 February 2027.
EL PAÍS reports that each group leader qualifies for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, while LaVanguardia says the 2027 Nations League also qualifies teams for the 2029 European Championship.
Switzerland lost 1-2 to Norway and 0-2 to Spain at the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland, and it must first play Austria in World Cup qualifying play-offs on 1 and 5 December.
- 5 DecSecond leg of Switzerland's World Cup play-off against Austria
- 23 FebLeague phase begins
- June 2027League phase ends (RTVE gives 15 June, LaVanguardia gives 14 June)
The draw
The draw took place on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Spain, the reigning champion, was placed in Group A1 with Norway, the Republic of Ireland and Switzerland. Spain was seeded in Pot 1 with France, Denmark and Germany, and it avoided England, which is in Group A2 with France, Austria and Portugal. Its top seeding followed a first-place finish in its World Cup 2027 qualifying group, according to LaVanguardia.
Spain won both earlier editions of the competition, beating France 2-0 in the 2024 final and Germany 3-0 in the 2025 final at Madrid's Metropolitano stadium. LaVanguardia reports that 55,843 spectators attended the 2025 final, a new attendance record for a senior women's national team match. The other League A groups are Group A3 with Denmark, Italy, Iceland and Wales, and Group A4 with Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Scotland.
Rivals in Group A1
EL PAÍS describes Norway as Spain's toughest opponent in the group, with Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen as its best-known players. The side has struggled with collective play and with disputes over unequal treatment compared with men, and it lost its first match against Switzerland at the 2025 European Championship, which Switzerland hosted. Switzerland, promoted back to League A, lost 1-2 to Norway in that group match and then went out 0-2 to Spain in the quarter-finals.
Switzerland last met the Republic of Ireland in 2014, when it lost 2-1 in the Cyprus Cup. Carla Ward coaches the Irish side, which the BBC notes has been handed one of the most difficult draws available. Ireland also faces Poland in a Women's World Cup play-off later in November.
League phase format and calendar
The league phase is played home and away across three international windows between February and June 2027. RTVE and LaVanguardia both give 23 February as the start, but RTVE puts the end on 15 June while LaVanguardia puts it on 14 June. UEFA has not yet confirmed fixtures, and the exact schedule will be published later.
The group winners advance to the finals, which SRF places in October and December and which EL PAÍS describes as semi-finals and a two-legged final. The bottom team in each League A group is relegated to League B, while third-placed League A teams face a play-off against a second-placed League B side, according to the BBC. Poland joined Northern Ireland, Finland and Belarus in League B3.
Olympic and World Cup stakes
EL PAÍS reports that the group leader in each League A group secures a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. LaVanguardia adds that the 2027 edition also serves as qualification for the 2029 European Championship, and the BBC links the finals to qualifying for the Euro in Germany. Spain has appeared at the Olympics only once, at Paris 2024, where it lost the bronze medal match to Germany.
The league phase overlaps with World Cup preparation. The 2027 World Cup in Brazil runs from 24 June to 25 July 2027, according to EL PAÍS. Switzerland must first win its World Cup qualifying play-off against Austria, with the two legs on 1 and 5 December.
Ask about this text
Sources and context
- rts.chNations League: Switzerland inherits Spain in League ALigue des nations : la Suisse hérite de l'Espagne en Ligue A · original in French
- RTVE.esSpain begins the defence of its double women's Nations crown against Norway, Ireland and SwitzerlandEspaña comienza la defensa de su doble corona de la Nations femenina ante Noruega, Irlanda y Suiza · original in Spanish
- EL PAÍSSpain will play for the ticket to Los Angeles 2028 in the first phase of the Women's Nations League against Norway, Ireland and SwitzerlandEspaña se jugará el billete para Los Ángeles 2028 en la primera fase de la Women's Nations League ante Noruega, Irlanda y Suiza · original in Spanish
- LaVanguardiaNorway, Ireland and Switzerland, Spain's rivals in the Nations LeagueNoruega, Irlanda y Suiza, rivales de España en la Nations League · original in Spanish
- Sonia Bermúdez
- Spain women's national team coach
- Carla Ward
- Republic of Ireland women's national team coach
- Ada Hegerberg
- Norway forward cited by EL PAÍS as the team's biggest star
- Caroline Graham Hansen
- Norway forward named as a key player in the squad
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support Pollar