Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, Moldova and Lithuania: these are the teams that have been drawn alongside Italy in Group G of World Cup qualifying, with the final tournament scheduled to take place in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand. This is the result of today’s draw, which saw 51 nations divided into nine groups (three groups of five teams and six groups of six).

Italy, who were in pot 1, will once again meet Romania and Moldova, two teams they got the better of on the road to the 2019 World Cup. As for Switzerland, they’ll undoubtedly provide a tough test for Milena Bertolini’s girls, as the Head Coach outlined following the draw: “There’s not a lot separating Switzerland and Italy. Switzerland are a strong side, let’s not forget that they beat us to first in Euro 2017 qualifying. The others are respectable opponents: Romania are establishing themselves and all the other teams are improving. All of these matches are difficult: at international level, easy games no longer exist.”

Qualifying begins in September 2021 and will end a year later, with the playoffs set for October 2022. The first-place teams will qualify directly for the finals, while the nine second-place teams will enter into a playoff to secure the final two spots. One other European team will be able to qualify via an intercontinental playoff, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand in the autumn of 2022.

During the 2019 World Cup in France, Milena Bertolini’s girls did exceptionally well, reaching the quarter-finals and conquering the hearts of millions of fans. The next World Cup, which will involve 32 teams for the very first time, will undoubtedly be another wonderful opportunity for the women’s game.

Group A: Sweden, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Georgia

Group B: Spain, Scotland, Ukraine, Hungary, Faroe Islands

Group C: Netherlands, Iceland, Czech Republic, Belarus, Cyprus

Group D: England, Austria, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, Latvia, Luxembourg

Group E: Denmark, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, Malta, Montenegro

Group F: Norway, Belgium, Poland, Albania, Kosovo, Armenia

Group G: Italy, Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, Moldova, Lithuania

Group H: Germany, Portugal, Serbia, Israel, Turkey, Bulgaria