In just over five months, European champions England will get their 2023 World Cup campaign under way – but one of their opponents is yet to be decided.
That will all be cleared up over the next week with 10 teams competing in the play-offs in New Zealand for the final three places at this summer’s tournament.
The group stage draw for the main event has already been made, meaning the three qualifiers know exactly what prize is at stake. Here’s everything you need to know…
Which team could face England?
Three teams are competing for the last spot in England’s World Cup group. Senegal will take on Haiti in the semi-finals, with the winner facing Chile, who were given a bye to the final.
Chile are the highest ranked of the three teams, standing at 38 in the world.
They also boast one of the world’s best goalkeepers in Christiane Endler, who won the Champions League with Lyon in May.
Chile made their World Cup debut in 2019 in a tough group alongside eventual champions the United States, Sweden – who reached the semi-finals, and Thailand. They claimed their first win in the tournament over Thailand but lost their other two games and missed out on the knockout stages on goal difference.
Haiti are 55th in the world and their women have never reached a major global tournament – although their men did qualify in 1974.
Most of their squad play in France, including 19-old-midfielder Melchie Dumornay, who recently announced she would be joining Lyon from Stade Reims this summer.
Senegal are the lowest-ranked team in the play-offs, at 84th in the world. They have never qualified for a global women’s tournament either, but did reach the quarter-finals of this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, losing on penalties to Zambia.
How do the play-offs work?
The 10 teams in the play-offs have been split into three groups, with the winner of each group earning a place at the World Cup.
Groups A and B contain three teams, with the two lowest-ranked sides facing off for the right to play a seeded nation. The winner of that second match qualifies.
Group C has four sides, so there are two semi-finals, with the winners then meeting for a place at the World Cup.
Who else is taking part – and what is their prize?
In Group A, Portugal are the highest-ranked side of the 10 play-off teams – at 22nd in the world – and while they have never reached a World Cup, they played in the past two European Championships.
Cameroon qualified in 2015 and 2019 and reached the last 16 in both tournaments. They were beaten by England in the latter competition in a bad-tempered encounter, with the African side outraged by several VAR decisions.
Thailand have also qualified for the previous two World Cups but have never made it out the group stage, and were thrashed 13-0 by the United States in their opening game in 2019.
The winners of Group A will be rewarded with a place in Group E at the World Cup and face the two World Cup finalists from four years ago – holders United States, and 2019 runners-up Netherlands, as well as Vietnam.
In Group C, Papua New Guinea, who have never qualified for a World Cup, have former Manchester City defender Spencer Prior in charge.
He emigrated to Australia after retiring from playing in 2007, took up coaching, and was part of the Australian women’s backroom staff at the 2011 World Cup.
Of the other teams in the group, Chinese Taipei took part in the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991 but have not qualified since. Neither Paraguay or Panama have ever reached the finals.
The victors of Group C will enter World Cup Group F and face Brazil in their opening match, before taking on Jamaica and then France.
Full match schedule – all times GMT
Group A
Semi-final – Cameroon v Thailand, 18 February 06:00
Final – Portugal v Cameroon/Thailand, 22 February 06:.30
Group B
Semi-final – Senegal v Haiti, 18 February 01:00
Final – Chile v Senegal/Haiti, 22 February 01:00
Group C
Chinese Taipei v Paraguay, 19 February 01:00
Papua New Guinea v Panama, 19 February 06:00
Final – Chinese Taipei/Paraguay v Papua New Guinea/Panama, 23 February, 01:00
