Oranje Women drawn against France, Poland, and Ireland in World Cup qualifiers

The Dutch women’s national football team, led by coach Arjan Veurink, will face France in the World Cup qualifiers, according to the draw in Nyon, Switzerland. Oranje’s other Group A2 opponents are Poland and the Republic of Ireland. The World Cup will be held in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, 2027.

Reigning world champion Spain will face European champion England, led by Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman, in Group A3. The 53 participating European countries are divided into three leagues: A, B, and C. The Netherlands is among the top 16 countries and is in League A.

The Dutch women’s team will start the league stage of World Cup qualifying in spring 2026, needing to top their group to secure direct qualification. The winners of the other three League A groups will also earn automatic spots for the 2027 tournament. The remaining seven World Cup places will be determined through two play-off rounds in the fall of 2026.

Europe has 11 World Cup spots up for grabs, with an additional place available via intercontinental play-offs. The host country, Brazil, qualifies automatically.

“It’s a nice and challenging draw, and I see opportunities,” said 39-year-old coach Arjan Veurink in an online press conference after the draw. Veurink took over from Andries Jonker as coach of the Dutch women’s team after a disappointing European Championship last summer.

The Netherlands were beaten 5-2 by France in the tournament’s group stage. “France is an opponent who will push us to our limits,” he said, looking ahead to the qualifiers.“But we can still challenge them,” said the coach, who was not directly involved in the European Championship defeat, in which the Netherlands went into halftime ahead.

“The key is to maintain that level for the full 90 minutes. Without getting into specifics, I see opportunities behind their last line. They will have possession at times and push us back, but in transition, chances arise. We can also test them when we have the ball,” Veurink added, noting that he had “enjoyed” his first draw as national coach.

Last month, Veurink debuted as national coach in a 0-0 friendly draw against Poland. “The match had two halves, and we improved in the second. We must keep our lines compact. It won’t be easy,” he said.