Ireland drawn in Nations League group with world champions Spain

Next month’s World Cup qualifying playoff against Poland might be the sole focus for Carla Ward and her Republic of Ireland squad, but they now know their opponents in the 2027 Nations League after Tuesday’s draw in Switzerland. They will play in a League A group with reigning world and European champions Spain, as well as Norway and Switzerland.

The prize for the winners of the group is not just a place in the semi-finals of the competition but also a spot in the 2028 Olympic Games. However, the inclusion of Spain, who have won the last two Nations Leagues, makes that particular dream a distant enough one.

It’s 10 years since Ireland last played the Spanish, when they lost a Euro 2017 qualifier 3-0 in Madrid, but since then Spain have become the game’s dominant force. The team is sprinkled with stardust, most notably in the shape of Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas who have won the last six Ballon d’Or Féminins between them.

Norway are no slouches either, if not the force they were back in the 1990s when they won the World Cup and two European Championships. They are ranked eight places higher than Ireland at 13 in the Fifa list, the sides last meeting in 2018 when Norway won 2-0 in Tallaght and 1-0 in Stavanger in their World Cup qualifying group.

Switzerland are the outsiders in the group, ranked five places below Ward’s team, their last meeting way back in 2014 when Ireland beat them 2-1 at the Cyprus Cup. It says something of the longevity of Denise O’Sullivan that she played – and scored – that day, at the age of 20.

The group fixtures will be announced later this month, the home and away games taking place between February and June next year.

The only dates circled in Ireland’s calendar for now, though, are December 1st and 5th when they will play Poland in Gdansk and at the Aviva Stadium in that World Cup qualifying playoff – the prize a place in next summer’s finals in Brazil.