Hungary won in Azerbaijan and secured the top of Group C3 in the qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup.
The Hungary women's national football team achieved an important away victory in the fifth round of the league phase of the UEFA European Qualifiers for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, defeating Azerbaijan 2:1 in Group C3 of League C. According to UEFA's results overview, the match was played on 5 June 2026 as part of Matchday 5, and with the win Hungary took a decisive step in the fight for first place in the group. According to UEFA data and announcements from the national associations, the match was played at Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium in Sumgayit, a city located not far from Baku. Azerbaijan stayed close on the scoreboard and in the closing stages still had hope of earning a point, but Hungary's goal in the final minutes of regular time decided the match. For the visiting national team, this was not only a victory in an individual match, but also a result that, according to the Hungarian Football Federation, confirmed winning the group and returning to League B for the next cycle of the UEFA Women's Nations League.
A match with a direct impact on the top of the group
The match between Azerbaijan and Hungary carried clear competitive weight because the two best-placed national teams in Group C3 met ahead of the fifth round. After the fourth round, UEFA had Hungary in first place with 10 points, while Azerbaijan was second with 9 points, which meant that the home team could have taken the leading position in the final stage of the league phase with a victory. Hungary entered the match with an advantage from the first head-to-head meeting, when on 7 March in Felcsút it won 1:0 through a goal by Emőke Pápai in first-half stoppage time. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, had previously beaten North Macedonia and Andorra in the group and had a real competitive motive to remain in the race for first place. For that reason, the 1:2 defeat was particularly difficult for the home team, because the points gap after the fifth round grew to four points in Hungary's favor, with only one match remaining until the end of the league phase.
According to the report by the Hungarian Football Federation, the team led by coach Alexandra Szarvas knew that a win in Sumgayit could secure first place regardless of the result of the final round. That context also affected the way the match was interpreted after the final whistle: for Hungary it was a match of confirmation, while for Azerbaijan it was a missed opportunity to continue the direct fight for the top. UEFA's schedule shows that Hungary hosts Andorra in the final round on 9 June, while Azerbaijan visits North Macedonia on the same day. Although in League C the importance of second place is not reduced only to a single group, because the two best runners-up advance to the play-offs, after this result it was no longer possible for Azerbaijan to overtake Hungary in C3. Thus the away victory gained wider significance than the mere one-goal margin.
Hungary's early goal and Azerbaijan's response after the break
According to the Hungarian Football Federation's report, Hungary started the match better and in the opening phase took greater possession of the ball, trying to keep play in Azerbaijan's half. The visitors took the lead in the 12th minute, when Diána Csányi sent the ball in from the right side, and it ended up in the home team's net. That early goal allowed Hungary to steer the match toward a scenario that suited it: calmer organization of play, control of midfield and searching for space in transition. Azerbaijan was not without attempts in the first half, but according to the same report, the Hungarian defense generally managed to prevent more serious chances. Near the end of the first half, Emőke Pápai had a shot that went close to the bottom corner, so the teams went into the break with a minimal advantage for the visiting side.
In the second half, the picture of the match changed because Azerbaijan had more of the ball at its feet and tried to press Hungary's back line. According to the Hungarian Football Federation's description, Hungary then defended somewhat deeper, but tried to use the space that opened up behind the home attacks. The visitors had two important situations before the equalizer: Zsanett Kaján failed to convert a blocked attempt, and Borbála Vincze's shot hit the crossbar. The punishment for the missed chances came midway through the second half, when Azerbaijan equalized after a move down the right side. According to the MLSZ report, Lauren Brzykcy first pushed away a cross, but Hungary's home defense failed to fully clear the situation, and Khanim Asadova sent the ball into the net for 1:1.
Nagy decided the match in the closing stages
The equalizer gave the home team room to hope that it could reach a result that would change the outcome of the group. According to the Hungarian report, Azerbaijan gained additional energy after the goal, while Hungary had to keep calm during the phase of the match in which the pressure was greatest. Coach Szarvas introduced Evelin Fenyvesi and Vanessa Nagy in the 82nd minute, and it was Nagy who became the player of the decision a few minutes later. In the 85th minute she escaped the defense after a good through ball and sent the ball past the goalkeeper for 2:1. TNT Sports records the same goal in its match display as coming in the 86th minute, which is a common difference in presentation due to the way playing time is rounded, but both sources confirm that the decisive goal came in the very closing stages.
After taking the lead for the second time, Hungary managed to withstand the remaining part of the match, and the final whistle marked a victory that had double value: three points and confirmation of first place in the group. According to the published MLSZ match record, Hungary started the match with Lauren Brzykcy, Viktória Nagy, Beatrix Fördős, Csilla Savanya, Laura Palakovics, Diána Csányi, Henrietta Csiszár, Sára Pusztai, Dóra Zeller, Emőke Pápai and Borbála Vincze. Zsanett Kaján, Vanessa Nagy, Evelin Fenyvesi and Virág Nagy came on in the second half, which shows that the visiting bench had a direct impact on the final result. According to the available match displays, Azerbaijan received yellow cards in the closing stages for Yeliz Acar and Sevinj Jafarzade, while it tried through substitutions to maintain pressure after the equalizer. The 1:2 result therefore does not show only a tight scoreboard, but also a match in which details in the final third of the pitch decided the winner.
Table after the fifth round: Hungary out of Azerbaijan's reach
According to TNT Sports' display after the match, Hungary had 13 points after five matches played, with four wins and one draw, a goal difference of 15:1 and the status of the leading national team in the group. Azerbaijan remained on 9 points, with three wins and two defeats and a goal difference of 8:4. North Macedonia, with a 1:0 win against Andorra, which UEFA also records in the fifth round of Group C3, reached 6 points, while Andorra remained on one point. Since three points are awarded for a win in the league phase, and one round remains until the end of the competition, Azerbaijan can no longer catch Hungary. This is also confirmed by the MLSZ announcement, according to which the Hungarian national team had already secured first place after five rounds.
Such an outcome has important consequences for both national teams. According to the competition rules described by UEFA, Hungary, as the winner of a League C group, secured entry into the play-offs for the 2027 World Cup and at the same time promotion to League B for the next cycle of the UEFA Women's Nations League. Azerbaijan remains in the fight for the best possible ranking among the League C runners-up, but its position also depends on results in other groups. UEFA's system for League C provides that six group winners and the two best second-placed teams enter the first round of the play-offs, which means that second place can also be valuable, but does not automatically guarantee continuation in the qualifiers. For that reason, the final round will carry significance for Azerbaijan even though the race for first position has been lost.
The wider context of the qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup
The European qualifiers for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 are being played according to a league system connected to the UEFA Women's Nations League. According to UEFA, the league phase ends on 9 June 2026, after which the play-offs for the remaining places follow. League A has a direct path toward the final tournament because the group winners secure qualification for the World Cup in Brazil. The remaining European national teams that stay in contention go through two play-off rounds, and the best teams from Leagues B and C also enter that system. In its overview of the qualifiers, FIFA states that Europe has up to 12 places at the final tournament: 11 direct places and the possibility of one more qualification through the intercontinental play-offs.
For national teams from League C, such as Hungary, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia and Andorra in Group C3, this system offers two levels of incentive. The first is the competitive path toward the World Cup play-offs, which is especially important for national teams that are rarely found in the final stages of major qualifying cycles. The second is the possibility of advancement to a higher tier of the UEFA Women's Nations League, which brings stronger opponents and a different development framework in the next cycle. With the victory in Sumgayit, Hungary achieved both goals in the group, while Azerbaijan must seek final confirmation through the last round and the possible ranking of second-placed national teams. In that sense, the match on 5 June was not an isolated result, but one of the key moments in the closing stage of League C.
Azerbaijan remained competitive, but without reward
The Azerbaijan national team showed in this cycle that it can be competitive in Group C3, especially through victories over North Macedonia and Andorra. After the April victory against Andorra, AFFA pointed out that Azerbaijan then had 9 points and was only one point behind Hungary, which shows how important the match in Sumgayit was for the home side. Against Hungary, the host managed to recover from an early deficit and until the 85th minute held a result that would have kept the tension at the top of the group. However, final concentration and execution at the decisive moment went to the visiting team. For Azerbaijan, that meant a second defeat to the same opponent in this qualifying group, after the narrow defeat in March in Hungary.
It is important to emphasize that the 1:2 result does not indicate a major difference between the teams in the match itself, but rather a Hungary side that made better use of the key moments. Azerbaijan found a response through Asadova after the break, and the very fact that Hungary had to reach victory with a late goal shows how open the match remained. Still, in qualifiers such a difference is often decisive: one goal in the closing stages can change the standings, secure promotion or close the path toward the top of the group. Hungary showed competitive maturity in Sumgayit, while Azerbaijan remained in a situation where it must confirm a positive impression in the final round. According to the AFFA and UEFA schedules, Azerbaijan's next opponent is North Macedonia in Bitola, which will be a match with a direct impact on the final standings for both national teams.
Hungary confirms continuity under Szarvas
Hungary's away victory over Azerbaijan fits into the broader impression of a national team that completed Group C3 steadily and efficiently. After an opening 0:0 draw away to Andorra, Hungary went on to beat Azerbaijan 1:0, then North Macedonia 5:0 away and 7:0 at home, and then in Sumgayit won the match that was the most demanding in terms of the scoreline after the first head-to-head meeting with Azerbaijan. According to UEFA's overview, Hungary had conceded only one goal after five rounds, precisely in this match, which further underlines its defensive stability in the group. At the same time it scored 15 goals, so the ratio of performance shows that first place was secured through a combination of attacking efficiency and defensive control. Such balance is often decisive in a league format in which points are collected across multiple windows and in different conditions.
After the match, coach Alexandra Szarvas told MLSZ that the team, despite the equalizer, kept control and that she was proud of the team's reaction in the closing stages. According to her words, Hungary dominated with and without the ball, defended space well and reacted effectively after losing possession, especially in the first half. Such an assessment shows that the Hungarian staff viewed the victory not only through the result, but also through a performance that confirmed the team's progress. The victory in Azerbaijan was therefore confirmation for Hungary that it can also win a match in which the opponent returns to the game, and not only matches in which it gains a secure advantage early. The final duel against Andorra on home soil will therefore have a different character for Hungary: first place is secured, but the opportunity remains to conclude the league phase unbeaten.
Sources:
- UEFA – overview of matches, results and calendar of the UEFA Women's European Qualifiers for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027. (link)
- Hungarian Football Federation MLSZ – report from the Azerbaijan – Hungary 1:2 match, statements and Hungary's lineup. (link)
- FIFA – official overview of the UEFA qualifiers for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027. (link)
- AFFA, Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan – information about the schedule, stadium and Azerbaijan national team ahead of the June qualifying matches. (link)
- TNT Sports – display of the Azerbaijan – Hungary match, scorers and group table after the fifth round. (link)