Scotland will face a tough road to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup after being drawn into Group B4 of qualifying, alongside Belgium, Israel, and Luxembourg. Head coach Melissa Andreatta described Scotland as "hungry" for success, believing that the team's unity and strength in numbers will be key to their chances.
The draw has been met with a mix of reactions from fans and pundits alike, but one thing is certain: Scotland will need to come through a play-off campaign after the group stage if they are to claim a place in Brazil for the 2027 tournament. The team currently ranks 20th in the world, five places below their potential opponents.
Andreatta's side will face Belgium, who were the highest-ranked of the four top seeds with whom Scotland could have been matched, but ultimately fell short of automatic qualification due to a draw against Republic of Ireland. Israel, meanwhile, are ranked 68th and will be seeking revenge for their previous losses to Scotland, including a 5-0 thrashing in Hungary last year.
The final opponent is Luxembourg, who won promotion to League B after finishing their group unbeaten ahead of Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Liechtenstein. Andreatta believes that the team's progress in the women's game will be a factor in their success, stating: "I think that does help, but what we need to remember too, every team is making progress in the women's game."
Scotland last played Israel in European Championship qualifying last year and won 5-0. They also beat Luxembourg for the first time in their history.
The qualifiers will be played across six matchdays, on a home-and-away basis, between March 3 and June 9 next year. Andreatta believes that Scotland's unity and strength as a team will put them in good stead when times get tough, adding: "Anything's possible with this group and I'll never write off any Scottish team or Scottish athlete because I think sometimes that's when the best comes out of us."
The draw has been met with a mix of reactions from fans and pundits alike, but one thing is certain: Scotland will need to come through a play-off campaign after the group stage if they are to claim a place in Brazil for the 2027 tournament. The team currently ranks 20th in the world, five places below their potential opponents.
Andreatta's side will face Belgium, who were the highest-ranked of the four top seeds with whom Scotland could have been matched, but ultimately fell short of automatic qualification due to a draw against Republic of Ireland. Israel, meanwhile, are ranked 68th and will be seeking revenge for their previous losses to Scotland, including a 5-0 thrashing in Hungary last year.
The final opponent is Luxembourg, who won promotion to League B after finishing their group unbeaten ahead of Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Liechtenstein. Andreatta believes that the team's progress in the women's game will be a factor in their success, stating: "I think that does help, but what we need to remember too, every team is making progress in the women's game."
Scotland last played Israel in European Championship qualifying last year and won 5-0. They also beat Luxembourg for the first time in their history.
The qualifiers will be played across six matchdays, on a home-and-away basis, between March 3 and June 9 next year. Andreatta believes that Scotland's unity and strength as a team will put them in good stead when times get tough, adding: "Anything's possible with this group and I'll never write off any Scottish team or Scottish athlete because I think sometimes that's when the best comes out of us."
They're sayin' Scotland's gotta come from behind now... Belgium's the one they coulda had, but nope. 20th in the world? That's not a great look for qualifying 
. But hey, if Melissa Andreatta's got faith in 'em, that's all we can ask for 
. The key to success is unity, yeah... and maybe just a lil' bit of magic 
scotland got stuck with a totes hard draw 
they gotta beat belgium first lol thats like asking them to take on england at wimbledon 
and israel is ranked like 68th so that one shouldnt be too bad 
but luxembourg just won promotion to league b so they'll prob give scotland a run for their money 
anyway andreatta thinks scottish unity is key i guess we'll just have to wait and see if it pays off 
? Like, they're already ranked way below them. But hey, coach Melissa Andreatta is trying to spin it as a positive - "hungry" for success and all that jazz 
. I just hope the team doesn't get discouraged by their ranking... 20th in the world is pretty low 
. The fact that they beat Luxembourg twice before is cute, but let's be real, this group stage is gonna be tough 
. This play-off campaign is gonna be a wild ride 
...
. Fingers crossed Scotland can pull it off but it's a long shot 
.
so fingers crossed for the lassies 
but scotland's come a long way since then 
can't wait to see how it all plays out 
. Think they've got this though, Scotland's been making waves lately 
๏ธ.
. And you know what? Scotland's been on the rise lately, beating Luxembourg for the first time ever 
. Their unity and strength as a team will definitely help 'em out when things get tough 
!
. And let's not forget, they beat Luxembourg last time around, so that's a bit of experience under their belt 
. They've been playing well in European Championships and beating Luxembourg twice will give them some confidence 
. Still, it'll be tough and they'll need to stay united 
They got a super hard draw but Andreatta is all about unity and strength 
! I mean, they can't go 5-0 on Israel like last year and expect to get away with it 
.
! They need this win badly and I think they're gonna make some magic happen 
.