The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Playoff will take place in New Zealand from 18th February to 23rd February 2023 to determine the remaining four teams who will join the 29 qualified sides in the group stages of the main competition. The playoff tournament will serve as a test event prior to the Women's World Cup. 10 teams will be split into three groups with the winner of each group qualifying for the Women's World Cup. New Zealand and guests Argentina will also play friendlies against participating teams and each other as part of the event.
The draw of the Playoff Tournament took place in October 2022. Teams were seeded in terms of their FIFA rankings with two unseeded teams going to face each other in Groups A and B in a semifinal. The winner of the semi-final will advance to the play-off final, to play against the seeded team for a spot in the Women's World Cup. In Group C, the two seeded teams will face an unseeded team in the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals face each other in the play-off final for a spot in the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia & New Zealand.
Groups & Fixtures
18 February 2023
Group A - Cameroon vs Thailand (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton) Semi-final 1
The 2022 Africa Cup of Nations Repechage winners, Cameroon will take on Thailand who finished third in the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup playoffs. The winner will fight against Portugal, the lowest-ranked UEFA playoff winner, for a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Group B - Senegal vs Haiti (North Harbour Stadium, Auckland) Semi-final 2
The other Africa Cup of Nations Repechage winners, Senegal, will lock horns with the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Championship Group A third-place finisher Haiti. The winner will lock horns with Chile, fifth place holder in the 2022 Copa América Femenina, to secure qualification.
19 February 2023
Group C - Chinese Taipei vs Paraguay (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton) Semi-final 3
Chinese Taipei ended as the runners-up of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup play-offs which puts them in a clash against the fourth place of the 2022 Copa América Femenina Paraguay. The winner of this tie will take on either Panama or New Guinea to enter the group stages of the Women’s World Cup.
19 February 2023
Group C - Papua New Guinea vs Panama (North Harbour Stadium, Auckland) Semi-final 4
Papua New Guinea qualified for the playoffs by virtue of winning the 2022 OFC Women's Nations Cup winners and will take on the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Championship Group B third-place finisher Panama in the semifinals. The winner will face the nation that advanced from the match between Chinese Taipei and Paraguay to enter the group stages for the main tournament in four months.
22 February 2023
Final 1 - Portugal vs Winner Semi Final 1 (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton)
Final 2- Chile vs Winner Semi Final 2 (North Harbour Stadium, Auckland)
23 February 2023
Final 3 - Winner Semifinal 3 vs Winner Semifinal 4
Associated Friendlies
17 February 2023
New Zealand vs Portugal (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton)
Argentina vs Chile (North Harbour Stadium, Auckland)
20 February 2023
New Zealand vs Argentina (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton)
21 February 2023
Loser Semifinal 1 vs Loser Semifinal 2 (North Harbour Stadium, Auckland)
23 February 2023
Loser Semifinal 3 vs Loser Semifinal 4 (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton)
New Zealand vs Argentina (North Harbour Stadium, Auckland)
Also Read | Women’s Football Calendar 2023
