Spain confirmed first place and direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup with a 6:1 win in Reykjavik
The Spain women's national football team concluded the league phase of the UEFA European qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup with a convincing 6:1 victory against Iceland at the Laugardalsvöllur stadium in Reykjavik. The match was played on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, as part of Matchday 6 in Group A3, and according to UEFA's official report, Spain secured direct qualification for the final tournament in Brazil with the victory. The reigning world champion therefore finished ahead of England, although both national teams ended the group with 15 points each. Goal difference proved decisive, because after six matches the Spanish team had a goal record of 21:3, while England finished with 13:5. Iceland, according to UEFA's table, remained third with six points and continues the competition through the additional qualifying path, while Ukraine finished last without points.
An early goal shaped the match
Spain established control of the match in Reykjavik very quickly. According to the report of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, conditions at Laugardalsvöllur were marked by occasional rain and cold weather, but Sonia Bermúdez's team tried from the opening minutes to keep possession and speed up attacks through short passing. The first goal came already in the 5th minute, when Vicky López used a pass from Alexia Putellas and scored with a precise shot for 0:1. UEFA states in its report that the goal came after a quick combination by the Spanish team, which was an early sign of the rhythm in which the match would develop. Iceland tried to respond with solid defensive organization and more direct transitions forward, but already in the first half it became clear that the home national team was struggling to cope with the technical superiority of its opponents.
After taking the early lead, Spain did not reduce the pressure. The RFEF states that Salma Paralluelo, Vicky López and Patri Guijarro had further chances before the second goal, while Lucía Corrales on the left side continuously created numerical superiority and widened the play. The second goal came in the 38th minute, when Edna Imade scored after an assist from Ona Batlle. UEFA highlighted that with that goal Imade reached her fifth goal of the campaign, which at that moment placed her among the most efficient players in League A. Just before the break, Spain also scored a third goal: Salma Paralluelo finished the move after another pass from Batlle, so the halftime score was 0:3. Such a development left the hosts very little room for a comeback and enabled Spain to open the second half with great security on the scoreboard.
Vicky López led the attack, Iceland softened the defeat through Boama
In the continuation, Spain further increased its lead and confirmed that it had no intention of merely protecting the result. The RFEF states that at the beginning of the second half Clàudia Pina and Aitana Bonmatí entered the game, bringing the visiting team new energy in the attacking phase. Already in the 50th minute, Vicky López scored her second goal of the match with a powerful and precise shot from outside the penalty area. UEFA described that goal as a long-range strike with which Spain moved to 0:4. The double scorer was one of the key figures of the match, not only because of her finishing but also because of her movement between the lines, which often forced the Icelandic defence to step out of its structure.
Iceland got its goal in the 58th minute. According to the official match data, Linda Líf Boama reduced the score to 1:4 after a quick home move and thereby scored Iceland's first goal in the encounter. UEFA states that it was her first goal for the Icelandic national team. That moment, however, did not change the course of the match. Spain continued to attack and reached its fifth goal in the 68th minute, when Clàudia Pina took advantage of a rebound and scored for 1:5. The final 1:6 was set by Aitana Bonmatí in the 84th minute, after she intercepted a ball from Icelandic goalkeeper Cecilíja Rúnarsdóttir and calmly finished the move. In the technical match record, the RFEF stated that the match was refereed by Slovak referee Miriama Bočková, assisted by Miroslava Pastoreková and Martina Ukropová.
Group A3 ended with the outcome Spain needed
The outcome of Group A3 was particularly interesting because Spain and England entered the final matchday level on points. A few days earlier, on 5 June 2026, Spain defeated England 4:0 in Palma de Mallorca, and after that match the RFEF announced that Sonia Bermúdez's team had taken the top of the group thanks to a significantly better goal difference. England defeated Ukraine 3:0 in the final round, which according to UEFA's report was enough for second place, but not for a direct trip to the World Cup. Since Spain won in Reykjavik, the European champions from England had to accept continuing the qualifiers through the play-offs. Iceland recorded two victories in the group, both against Ukraine, but against the two strongest national teams in the group it remained far from the fight for first place in terms of results. Ukraine finished without points and with the worst goal difference in the group.
According to UEFA's official table, the final standings of Group A3 look like this:
- Spain: 6 matches, 5 wins, 1 defeat, goal difference 21:3, 15 points.
- England: 6 matches, 5 wins, 1 defeat, goal difference 13:5, 15 points.
- Iceland: 6 matches, 2 wins, 4 defeats, goal difference 3:12, 6 points.
- Ukraine: 6 matches, 6 defeats, goal difference 2:19, 0 points.
This order confirms how important Spain's victory in Reykjavik was even after the convincing triumph against England. Spain did not depend on the outcome of the England - Ukraine match if it defeated Iceland itself, but it had to maintain seriousness against a national team that, at home earlier in the qualifying phase, had lost to England only 0:1. UEFA warned precisely about that in its preview of Matchday 6, stating that Reykjavik is a demanding away venue and that Iceland had shown competitive toughness. Spain therefore played the match without calculations, with the same basic approach that had brought it victory over England. The large difference in finishing and the breadth of attacking options eventually turned a potentially uncomfortable encounter into a convincing confirmation of first place.
Direct qualification for Brazil and continuation of the road for other European national teams
After Matchday 6, UEFA announced that Denmark, France and Spain had secured the remaining direct European places for the 2027 World Cup, after Germany had earlier confirmed the top of its group. According to the qualification rules published by UEFA, the four winners of League A groups qualify directly for the final tournament. The other national teams from League A, as well as part of the national teams from Leagues B and C, continue their path through the play-offs, which will be played in two rounds. UEFA states that the play-off draw is scheduled for 18 June 2026, while the first-round matches are planned from 7 to 13 October 2026, and the second round from 25 November to 5 December 2026. In that system, the seven best-ranked winners of the second play-off round will qualify for the World Cup, while one more national team will go to the intercontinental play-offs.
For Spain, direct qualification is especially important because it avoids additional high-risk autumn matches and can focus its preparations earlier on the final tournament. According to the RFEF, this qualification means Spain's fourth consecutive appearance at the Women's World Cup. The national team will defend in Brazil the title won in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, and FIFA states in its official tournament information that the 2027 World Cup will be played from 24 June to 25 July. FIFA also highlights that this will be the first edition of the Women's World Cup held in South America and the tenth edition of the competition overall. Spain enters that cycle also as the leading national team in the official FIFA ranking published on 21 April 2026, which further increases expectations, but also the pressure ahead of the title defence.
Post-match statements emphasized the difficulty of the group
After the match, the Royal Spanish Football Federation published reactions from head coach Sonia Bermúdez and several players. According to the RFEF, Bermúdez emphasized that the group had been demanding from the draw itself, especially because of England, and that the team had made an important step forward in the last two matches. The same source states that the head coach particularly highlighted the mentality of the players and the team's ability not to lower its level even after a difficult period in which it lost at Wembley. Aitana Bonmatí, who returned from injury in the final phase of qualification and scored the sixth goal in Reykjavik, according to the RFEF emphasized the continuity of the national team's work and the ambition not to be satisfied merely with participation in major competitions. Vicky López, also according to the RFEF, said that the team had managed to turn around a situation that a month earlier had looked more difficult, while Edna Imade emphasized the importance of bouncing back after the defeat in London.
Those statements describe well the context of Spain's qualifying campaign. Spain had one defeat in the group, 0:1 against England at Wembley, but after that it regained control of its own qualification through a series of convincing results. The 5:0 victories against Ukraine, 4:0 against England and 6:1 against Iceland showed the depth of the squad and attacking variety, and players who took responsibility for finishing in different phases of the campaign stood out in particular. In Reykjavik, goals were scored by four different Spanish players, with two goals from Vicky López, confirming that the team does not depend on one source of goals. For Iceland, Boama's goal had personal significance, but at team level it was not enough for a more even finish. The home national team will remain in the race for the World Cup through the play-offs, but after this outcome the path will be considerably longer and more uncertain.
The broader significance of the victory in Reykjavik
Spain's victory in Reykjavik is not just another convincing win by the reigning world champions, but also confirmation of stability in a qualifying format in which direct qualification was reserved only for the winners of League A groups. That meant that even second place, even with 15 points as in England's case, did not guarantee a trip to Brazil. That is exactly why Spain's goal difference had decisive importance, and high-margin victories against Ukraine, England and Iceland became as important as the points themselves. UEFA's qualification system thereby increases the importance of every match in the elite league, because an error against a direct rival or weaker finishing against a nominally weaker opponent can open the way to an uncomfortable play-off. Spain completed the final phase in the manner expected of a national team that wants to defend the world title: dominantly, efficiently and without waiting for outcomes on other pitches.
For Iceland, the 1:6 defeat represents a difficult end to the league phase, but it does not erase the fact that the national team managed to defeat Ukraine twice in the group and secure continuation of its qualifying path. According to UEFA's system, third-placed League A national teams take part in the play-offs, so the Icelandic national team will seek a new opportunity in the autumn. For Spain, meanwhile, a period of planning and selection follows ahead of the tournament that in 2027 will bring the world's best women's national teams to South America for the first time. FIFA states that Brazil will host from 24 June to 25 July 2027, which means that the reigning champions will have just over a year to prepare for the defence of their title. After the 6:1 result in Reykjavik, it is clear that Spain enters that cycle with a very strong argument: it finished ahead of England in one of the most demanding European qualifying groups and in doing so showed attacking power that once again places it among the main favourites.
Sources:
- UEFA – Matchday 6 report of the European qualifiers, summary of the Iceland - Spain match and confirmation of Spain's direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup. (link)
- UEFA – official overview of all results from the league phase of the European qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. (link)
- UEFA – official group standings, including the final standings of Group A3. (link)
- UEFA – explanation of the qualification system, direct qualification and play-off schedule for the 2027 World Cup. (link)
- RFEF – official report of the Iceland - Spain match, scorers, goal minutes, line-ups, stadium and refereeing team. (link)
- RFEF – reactions from Sonia Bermúdez, Aitana Bonmatí, Vicky López and Edna Imade after the victory and qualification for the World Cup. (link)
- FIFA – official information on the Brazil 2027 Women's World Cup, the host and tournament dates. (link)
- FIFA – official FIFA/Coca-Cola women's national team ranking used for the context of Spain's current status. (link)