2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)

international football competition

The European qualifying competition to decide which women's football teams from Europe would go to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand happened. There were eleven spots available for European teams to go directly to the World Cup, and one team had a chance to go through more matches in the inter-confederation play-offs.[1]

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Tournament details
Dates16 September 2021 – 11 October 2022
Teams51 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Matches played242
Goals scored1,086 (4.49 per match)
Top scorer(s)Belgium Tessa Wullaert (17 goals)
← 2019
2027

Out of the 55 European countries that are part of UEFA, 51 of them took part in this competition.[2] It was the first time Cyprus tried to qualify for the World Cup, and Luxembourg played in a group stage for the first time ever.

Group stage

  The nine group winners qualify directly for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
  The nine group runners-up advance to the play-offs.

Group A

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Sweden8710322+30222023 FIFA Women's World Cup1–12–13–04–0
2  Republic of Ireland8521264+2217Play-offs0–11–01–111–0
3  Finland83141412+2100–51–22–16–0
4  Slovakia822499080–10–11–12–0
5  Georgia8008054−5400–150–90–30–4
Source: UEFA

Group B

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Spain8800530+53242023 FIFA Women's World Cup8–05–03–012–0
2  Scotland85122213+916Play-offs0–21–12–17–1
3  Ukraine83141220−8100–60–42–04–0
4  Hungary83051919090–70–24–27–0
5  Faroe Islands8008256−5400–100–60–31–7
Source: UEFA

Group C

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Netherlands8620313+28202023 FIFA Women's World Cup1–01–13–012–0
2  Iceland8602253+2218Play-offs0–24–06–05–0
3  Czech Republic83232510+15112–20–17–08–0
4  Belarus8215726−1970–20–52–14–1
5  Cyprus8017248−4610–80–40–61–1
Source: UEFA

Group D

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  England101000800+80302023 FIFA Women's World Cup1–04–010–08–020–0
2  Austria10712507+4322Play-offs0–23–15–010–08–0
3  Northern Ireland106133616+20190–52–24–09–04–0
4  Luxembourg10307945−3690–100–81–22–13–2
5  Macedonia102081062−5260–100–60–112–33–2
6  Latvia10109863−5530–101–81–31–01–4
Source: UEFA

Group E

On 28 February 2022, FIFA and UEFA announced that Russia was suspended from all competitions.[3] On 2 May 2022, UEFA announced that Russia would no longer be allowed to take part in the competition, that their previous results were nullified, and that Group E would continue with five teams.[4][5]

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Denmark8800402+38242023 FIFA Women's World Cup8–05–12–07–03–1
2  Bosnia and Herzegovina8323917−811Play-offs0–32–31–01–00–4
3  Montenegro8305917−891–50–22–00–2Canc.
4  Azerbaijan8215516−117[a]0–81–11–01–20–4
5  Malta8215617−117[a]0–22–20–20–2Canc.
6  Russia[b]00000000DisqualifiedCanc.Canc.5–02–03–0
Source: UEFA
Notes:

Group F

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Norway10910472+45282023 FIFA Women's World Cup4–02–15–05–110–0
2  Belgium10712567+4922Play-offs0–14–07–07–019–0
3  Poland10622289+19200–01–12–07–012–0
4  Albania103161430−16100–70–51–21–15–0
5  Kosovo10217835−2770–31–61–21–32–1
6  Armenia100010171−7000–100–70–10–40–1
Source: UEFA

Group G

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Italy10901402+38272023 FIFA Women's World Cup1–22–03–07–03–0
2  Switzerland10811444+4025Play-offs0–12–05–04–115–0
3  Romania106132111+10190–51–12–03–03–0
4  Croatia10316618−12100–50–20–10–04–0
5  Lithuania10127735−2850–50–71–70–14–0
6  Moldova10019149−4810–80–60–40–11–1
Source: UEFA

Group H

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Germany10901475+42272023 FIFA Women's World Cup3–05–18–07–07–0
2  Portugal10712269+1722Play-offs1–32–14–04–03–0
3  Serbia107032614+12213–21–22–04–03–0
4  Turkey10316926−17100–31–12–53–21–0
5  Israel10307725−1890–10–40–21–02–0
6  Bulgaria100010137−3600–80–51–40–20–2
Source: UEFA

Group I

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  France101000544+50302023 FIFA Women's World Cup2–01–05–111–06–0
2  Wales10622225+1720Play-offs1–20–05–04–06–0
3  Slovenia10532216+15182–31–10–06–02–0
4  Greece104151228−16130–100–11–43–03–2
5  Estonia10208743−3660–90–10–41–34–2
6  Kazakhstan100010434−3000–50–30–20–10–2
Source: UEFA

Ranking of second-placed teams

Since some groups had six teams and others had five, matches against the sixth-placed team in the groups with six teams were not counted.

PosGrpTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1G  Switzerland8611234+1919Play-offs round 2
2C  Iceland8602253+2218
3A  Republic of Ireland8521264+2217
4D  Austria8512346+2816Play-offs round 1
5F  Belgium8512307+2316
6B  Scotland85122213+916
7H  Portugal8512189+916
8I  Wales8422135+814
9E  Bosnia and Herzegovina8323917−811
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Counting only matches against teams ranked first to fifth in the group, 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Wins; 6) Away wins; 7) Lower disciplinary points total; 8) UEFA national team coefficient ranking.

Qualified teams

Here is a list of twelve teams from Europe (UEFA) that made it to the World Cup.

TeamQualified asQualified onPrevious appearances in FIFA Women's World Cup1
 SwedenGroup A winners12 April 20228 (1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019)
 SpainGroup B winners12 April 20222 (2015, 2019)
 NetherlandsGroup C winners6 September 20222 (2015, 2019)
 EnglandGroup D winners3 September 20225 (1995, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019)
 DenmarkGroup E winners2 May 2022[a]4 (1991, 1995, 1999, 2007)
 NorwayGroup F winners2 September 20228 (1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019)
 ItalyGroup G winners6 September 20223 (1991, 1999, 2019)
 GermanyGroup H winners3 September 20228 (1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019)
 FranceGroup I winners12 April 20224 (2003, 2011, 2015, 2019)
 SwitzerlandBest play-off winners11 October 20221 (2015)
 Republic of IrelandSecond best play-off winners11 October 20220 (debut)
 PortugalInter-confederation play-offs Group A winners22 February 20230 (debut)
1 Bold shows champions for that year. Italic shows hosts for that year.

Top goalscorers

There were 1086 goals scored in 242 matches, for an average of 4.49 goals per match.

17 goals

  • Tessa Wullaert

15 goals

  • Lea Schüller

13 goals

11 goals

  • Amaiur Sarriegi

10 goals

9 goals

  • Fanni Vágó
  • Esther González
  • Coumba Sow

8 goals

7 goals

  • Stine Larsen
  • Lauren Hemp
  • Arianna Caruso
  • Valentina Giacinti
  • Jill Roord
  • Rachel Furness
  • Nikola Karczewska
  • Katie McCabe

6 goals

  • Janice Cayman
  • Lisa-Marie Karlseng Utland
  • Ewa Pajor
  • Denise O'Sullivan
  • Ramona Bachmann

Source: UEFA.com

References