The Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team has learned their path to the FIFA 2027 Women's World Cup following today’s play-off draw.

Carla Ward’s side has been drawn against Kazakhstan in the first round of the play-offs, setting up a challenging two-legged tie as the Girls in Green look to secure back-to-back World Cup appearances.

Ireland will face a significant logistical hurdle in the first leg, traveling east to face Kazakhstan in their home territory. The long-haul trip to Central Asia, historically involving flight times of up to 13 hours to Astana, will be a different challenge for Carla Ward's side. 

However, Ward’s side will hold the crucial advantage of hosting the decisive second leg back in Dublin. Roared on by a passionate home crowd, Ireland will look to seal their progression in front of their own fans. Official dates, venues, and kick-off times for both legs will be confirmed in due course.

Should Ireland navigate past Kazakhstan over the two legs, a huge play-off final will await. The draw has confirmed that the winner of the Ireland-Kazakhstan tie will face either Belgium or Poland for a direct ticket to the tournament.

While a play-off final always presents a difficult challenge, Ireland will take immense confidence from their recent history against both potential opponents. Ward’s squad has faced both nations within the last year, boasting an impressive record.

Against Poland, Ireland dominated their recent World Cup qualifying group stage encounters, securing a superb double over the Poles with victories both at home and away. Before that, in October 2025, Ireland produced two sensational performances over two legs to defeat the Belgians, a historic result that secured the team's promotion to the prestigious Nations League - League A.

Details for all fixtures will be confirmed in due course.