Five automatic qualification berths available for France 2019
Only a win will do for Germany against Iceland
FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 to be held from 7 June to 7 July
It is all or nothing in European qualifying for the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™, as the campaign enters a tense finale with two automatic qualifying spots already taken and five more still up for grabs. FIFA.com shines a spotlight on the matches to be played between 30 August and 4 September.
Standings Group 1: Wales (17 points), England (16), Russia (7), Kazakhstan (3), Bosnia and Herzegovina (3) Group 2: Switzerland (18), Scotland (15), Poland (7), Albania (4), Belarus (3) Group 3: Netherlands (19), Norway (15) Republic of Ireland (10), Northern Ireland (3), Slovakia (0) Group 4: Denmark (15), Sweden (15), Ukraine (10), Hungary (4), Croatia (2) Group 5: Iceland (16), Germany (15), Czech Republic (10), Slovenia (6), Faroe Islands (0) Group 6: Italy (21), Belgium (13), Portugal (5), Romania (5), Moldova (1) Group 7: Spain (18), Austria (13) , Finland (10), Serbia (7), Israel (1)
The top four second-placed teams will enter a play-off round consisting of two-legged semi-finals and a final, the winner of which will earn the last remaining ticket to France 2019.
The key games Group 1: Wales – England, 31 August 2019, 19.45 (local time) Wales and England is a winner-takes-all encounter, with victory for either side guaranteeing their spot at next year's global showpiece. A draw would leave Wales with a nervous wait given that this is their final qualifying match, whereas England still have a game in hand.
Group 2: Scotland – Switzerland, 30 August 2018, 19.35 (local time) The situation is simple at the top of this pool: Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's Switzerland side can seal their passage to a second successive Women's World Cup with a draw or win against Scotland. "It doesn't get any better than representing your country at a World Cup so I know how important the game against Scotland is," Ramona Bachmann told the Swiss Football Association (SFV) website. "Both myself and the others who were at the 2015 edition will try to make sure the younger players are aware of that."
Group 3: Norway – Netherlands, 4 September 2018, 17.00 (local time) Reigning European champions the Netherlands are in pole position with a four-point lead at the top of the standings, although Norway, who have participated at every Women's World Cup to date and won the 1995 edition, still have a game in hand in second place. A draw here would be enough for the Oranje Leeuwinnen to qualify for their second finals after reaching the 2015 tournament.
Group 4: Denmark – Sweden, 4 September 2018, 17.00 (local time) Denmark and Sweden respectively face Croatia and Ukraine in their penultimate qualifying matches before going head to head in a showdown in Viborg on 4 September for this group's automatic spot at France 2019. Both teams must win their prior assignments to avoid going into this clash at a disadvantage.
Group 5: Iceland – Germany, 1 September 2018, 14.55 (local time) For two-time world champions Germany, this match is not only about qualifying for France 2019 but also about making amends for the shock 3-2 defeat at home to Iceland in October 2017 in which Dagny Brynjarsdottir netted a brace for the victors. That reverse ended Germany's unbelievable run of going more than 19 years without a qualifiers defeat. If coach Horst Hrubesch's charges manage to pick up all three points, they will go into their final game against Faroe Islands three days later needing to equal or better Iceland's result against Czech Republic in order to qualify.