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Rhian Wilkinson says Wales will need to show courage in their World Cup play-offs rather than fear, after being handed a possible tie against Norway in the race to reach Brazil 2027.Wales must beat Albania and then either Romania or Norway in successive two-legged play-off ties if they are to reach next year's tournament.Wilkinson's side were in the same group as Albania in their qualifying campaign - winning 4-0 in Wrexham and 1-0 away from home.Wales, who topped League B Group 1 ahead of the Czech Republic, will be away in the first leg of round one on 9 October before hosting the Albanians - who finished third in the group - in the second leg on 13 October.Should they win that tie on aggregate, Wales will then play the winners of the match between Romania and Norway, who are managed by former Wales boss Gemma Grainger.Wales, who have never beaten a top-20 side in a competitive fixture, will be home for the first leg on 1 December and away in the second leg on 5 December should they make it through to round two.Wilkinson says facing Norway - currently 14th in the world rankings - would be an "incredible challenge" but one they have to embrace."If we want to be a side that makes major tournaments, then we have to be able to confidently show up against teams ranked higher than us and know that we're going to put in a strong performance," she said."Norway would be an incredible challenge, but a wonderful challenge."We can't be frightened of not showing up and giving everything. I'd like to take a more courageous stance, and I hope they (the players) follow me with it."Wilkinson says Wales have learned from their experience at Euro 2025, when they stuggled to make an impact against three of the world's best teams - Netherlands, France and England."I think we all learned a lot through the Euros - myself, my staff, the players," she said."Do I wish I'd coached differently? Parts of it, absolutely. I'm sure they (the players) look back on it and think like 'what if, what if we could have...'"But you don't know until you've been to a major event what it's going to be like, what the pressure feels like, what the stress feels like."We talked about it, we prepared for it, and it still blew us away, but there's confidence that comes from having done it."I also look at our last Nations League A campaign - two draws against Sweden, but also keeping the scores really competitive against some top nations."Wales will have to improve their away form if they are to get through the play-offs and make it to Brazil.Wilkinson's side sailed through their home qualifiers, with a 6-1 mauling of Montenegro, a 4-0 romp past Albania and a 3-1 win over Czech Republic to wrap up the group.On the road, however, they were fortunate to salvage a draw in the Czech Republic in their opening qualifier in March, then scraped a 1-0 victory in Albania before a shock 1-1 draw in Montenegro in the penultimate match."We were a bit frustrated when we played Albania away (in April), but this is a good opportunity to improve our performance against a challenging opposition," said Wilkinson."I thought (Albania) played really well in that second leg, so they'll be tough. It'll be a good tactical battle between them and us, and who's learnt the most."It was obvious from our campaign that our away form wasn't what we wanted it to be. There's definitely some work to be done away from home."It's about showing up with the best version of ourselves."And there we have it: Wales will almost certainly have to beat a top-20 side for the first time in a competitive game if they're to reach their first World Cup finals.Assuming Wales get past Albania, they'd expect to come up against Norway in round two... unless Romania can pull off a big shock and make a mockery of the 39 places between those two teams in the world rankings.Wales were beaten home and away by Norway the last time the sides met - in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2022.Norway are currently 14th in the world having come second to Germany in their qualifying group.It's a big challenge, but by no means impossible for Wales. One I'm sure head coach Wilkinson will embrace as she bids to get Wales to the second major tournament in their history.Northern Ireland or Portugal v Croatia or IcelandIsrael or Switzerland v Kosovo or AustriaCzech Republic or Scotland v Lithuania or SwedenBelgium or Poland v Kazakhstan or the Republic of IrelandTurkey or Slovenia v Hungary or NetherlandsLionesses will face Greece in World Cup play-offsFree agent Wales players put themselves in shop windowWales bosses lobbying Uefa to expand Women's Euros

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ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleIan WilliamsBBC Sport AfricaWhen Antonio Rudiger entered the fray as a substitute during Germany's World Cup opener - a 7-1 victory over Curacao at the Houston Stadium - he knew his large extended family would be watching on proudly.But things could have been very different if the Real Madrid defender's parents had not managed to flee Sierra Leone's decade-long civil war for a new life in Europe."There was only the decision to get out of there," Rudiger told BBC Sport Africa."I spoke many times with my brother about it, and he told me the stories of what he saw there and what a march they made from Kono [the family's home district in the far east of Sierra Leone] to the capital city to find a bit of safety."The distance between Kono and the capital Freetown is approximately 210 miles (340km) and the journey proved perilous, with Rudiger's uncle taking extreme action to prevent his nieces and nephews being swept up by rebels and turned into one of the thousands of child soldiers forced into battle during the conflict."[He] hid them in a bag of rice and then went back to get them and then to continue the journey," Rudiger added. "And sometimes they had to lay low, pretending they [were] dead to not get shot or to not get abducted."Rudiger, the youngest of six siblings, was born in Berlin after his family were accepted by Germany as refugees, while other relatives began new lives in other places such as the UK and the US.The 33-year-old remembers growing up in one of Germany's refugee centres."We had our room, then a family next to us had their room, so we were all together," he said."It influenced me a lot because nothing is given in life. You have to work for things, you have to sacrifice a lot to get where you sometimes get your goal."In a tournament in which diaspora players and fans have already made their mark, the two-time Champions League winner says now is "the right time to raise a voice" in support of refugees - and he is not alone.Alphonso Davies, captain of co-hosts Canada, spent his early years in a Ghanaian refugee camp after his parents fled Liberia, which like Sierra Leone was devastated by civil war during the 1990s and early 2000s."Canada means a lot to me," the Bayern Munich full-back told the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which has put together a symbolic "game-changing team" of refugee players to show "what is possible when young people displaced by war and persecution find safety, opportunity and welcome".Davies listed "going to school for the first time, being able to play the sport that I love and being able to make friends" among his memories of his adoptive country. "They welcomed us in with open arms.""They gave me the opportunity to be who I am and to be what I want to be in life."Among the other players putting their name to the UNHCR campaign are:Australia is also represented by a trio of forwards in the national team: Watford's Nestory Irankunda, Norwich's Mohamed Toure and Awer Mabil, who plays for Castellon in Spain's second tier.Irankunda's strike in their 2-0 win over Turkey made the 20-year-old the Socceroos' youngest World Cup goalscorer.Irankunda, Toure and Mabil nwere either born or grew up in African refugee camps but are now getting the chance to impress on football's biggest stage.Australia's professional footballers' association is so proud of the squad's multicultural makeup that it made a video with every player listing their place of birth or family heritage to showcase the benefits of immigration."Children and youth are among the most vulnerable during displacement from war, violence and persecution," said Barham Salih, high commissioner for refugees with the UN, which estimates that there are 48.8 million displaced children around the world."Some are separated from their families, affected by trauma, and some suffer abuse."But while players with backgrounds as refugees will be cheered at the World Cup, some of those involved in the UN campaign have concerns about changing global perceptions."The narrative goes a bit more blaming the refugees," said Rudiger, who believes empathy for the plight of those escaping conflict has diminished."Obviously, you have always the good and the bad. This is life, we all are not perfect. But the thing is, if one person does bad, are all bad?"You cannot smear it on everyone, because that's not fair. Because you have people who come here, they really want to change their life, they're doing good, they're trying to learn."They learn the language, they go to school, they achieve something in life."In January 2025, immediately after his inauguration, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the US Refugee Admissions Programme (USRAP).Trump said the move would allow US authorities to prioritise national security and public safety.Since it was launched in 1980, USRAP has led to approximately 3.7 million refugees admitted into the States, including 504,000 Africans.In October, the Trump administration said it would limit the number of refugees to 7,500 over the current US fiscal year, giving priority to white South Africans following Trump's widely discredited claims of a "genocide" against Afrikaners.Recent figures from the US Department of State show that 6,069 refugees were admitted in the seven months from October to April - and all but three of them came from South Africa.In contrast, during the final full year of President Joe Biden's term, 100,034 refugees were accepted into the US, with 34,017 from 32 African nations. The Democratic Republic of Congo saw the highest number (19,923), with Somalia (4,801), Eritrea (2,411) and Sudan (2,184) also prominent.The decision to cut refugee acceptance numbers to a record low has been defended by the Trump administration as being "justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest", but was opposed by campaigners."Sadly, right now, the most vulnerable in Africa and across the world have been shut out entirely," Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and chief executive of Global Refuge, a non-profit organisation which has previously worked with the State Department to resettle refugees, told BBC Sport Africa."What we will see [at the World Cup] is the US spending this summer celebrating, as they should, what humans can achieve when they're given a chance."US policymakers have spent the past year making sure fewer people get that chance, and it is a stark and deeply troubling contradiction."Meanwhile in Canada, the annual number of refugees being accepted has increased over the last decade – even as policymakers in recent years have shifted towards more restrictive immigration policies of their own.Over a 10-year period, data from the country's Refugee Protection Division (RPD) reveals that 9,972 refugees claims were accepted in 2016, rising to 50,067 in 2025.Thirty-eight African nations were represented in Canada's most recent figures, with Nigeria seeing the highest number of claims accepted.The USA hosted its first World Cup in 1994, a year in which more than 100,000 refugees were resettled in the country."We knew back then that hosting the world and welcoming the world were not separate ideas," said O'Mara Vignarajah. "But we have seem to have forgotten that."Star players like Rudiger and Davies hope to jog people's memories as they turn out for the nations which welcomed them and their families.

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Motherwell have appointed Alfred Johansson as the club's new manager, replacing Jens Berthel Askou at Fir Park.The 35-year-old arrives in Lanarkshire after two-and-a-half years in charge of Norwegian top league side Rosenborg.In his first season, he guided them to fourth place before finishing seventh the following year. He left the club last month just seven games into the new campaign.Askou, who left the Steelmen for Toulouse, was praised for implementing an attractive style of expansive and effective football as the Steelmen briefly threatened to challenge for the league title.He led Motherwell to a fourth-placed finish with victory, securing a return to European football next season.Johannson is confident he can build on that success."This is a huge honour for me," he told Motherwell FC."To work at this football club and to lead is a privilege. I've analysed the club closely, and the direction that it's going in is of huge importance to me. Last season was hugely successful, and I want to be able to carry this success forward. The squad of players we have is exciting, and we will get to work straight away.A new chapter is upon us 👋Alfred Johansson is the new manager of Motherwell Football Club."There is no time to waste with European football next month and the league season starting in a few weeks. I can't wait to get to know all the players and staff at the club, but most importantly, I'm looking forward to meeting the supporters. I'll see you all very soon."Chairman Kyrk Macmillan added: "Following the same data-driven process that we undertook to appoint the previous two managers of the football club, we believe Alfred is an excellent fit here at Motherwell. The data plays a key role to ensure the game model aligns with how we want to play and continues our evolution, but the process is also blended with ensuring we bring good people to the club."We met with Alfred on a number of occasions, and he stood out as the best candidate to continue our journey at the club. It became evident from our conversations that there was a clear alignment between both parties, and we have built a strong relationship already. Identifying and appointing someone that fits with the type of people we want to work with is equally as important."There is a strong belief that Alfred has the correct characteristics to lead and deliver on his ideas. He is a determined and ambitious young manager who wants to continue the success we had last season."It was important for the squad that we completed our detailed process of recruiting a new manager, but we were also conscious of time. With the players back in for pre-season this week, Alfred can begin working with his new squad ahead of a busy and exciting period for the football club."We were delighted with the connection our fans had with the team last season and we hope to take that even further this campaign"

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Alfred Johansson is the new manager at Motherwell, with the Swede aiming to build on the success of last season at Fir Park.The 35-year-old takes over from Jens Berthel Askou, who led the club to fourth place in the Scottish Premiership before departing for Toulouse.Johansson spent two-and-a-half-years in charge of Rosenborg in Norway before he was sacked in May.Motherwell say they followed the "same data-driven process" that unearthed Askou and previous boss Michael Wimmer."The data plays a key role to ensure the game model aligns with how we want to play and continues our evolution, but the process is also blended with ensuring we bring good people to the club," said chairman Kyrk Macmillan."There is a strong belief that Alfred has the correct characteristics to lead and deliver on his ideas. He is a determined and ambitious young manager who wants to continue the success we had last season."Just's 'incredible' World Cup double 'adds zeros' to Well valueMotherwell picked up 61 points in Askou's one league campaign in Scotland, winning 16 of their 38 games.Johansson, who did not play professional football, began youth coaching in his homeland and worked as academy manager at Djurgardens.He was youth manager in the second of his spells with FC Copenhagen, progressing to Under-19 level.Rosenborg made him their head coach in December 2023 and he went on to win 71 of his 131 matches."I've analysed the club closely, and the direction that it's going in is of huge importance to me," said Johansson."Last season was hugely successful, and I want to be able to carry this success forward. The squad of players we have is exciting, and we will get to work straight away."Motherwell meet Havnar Boltfelag of the Faroe Islands in the Conference League second qualifying round first leg on 23 July and open their Premiership campaign away to Hibernian on 2 August.

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After the conclusion of the first round of World Cup group games, Between the Lines reveals the numbers behind how teams and players have handled the hot conditions so far.How did Michael Olise beat the heat in France's 3-1 win over Senegal? Can England maintain the intensity of their 4-2 win over Croatia in tournament venues without air conditioning? And which players have clocked the highest top speeds?The hottest game so far was the 1-1 draw between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H, where the temperature outside Miami Stadium hit a maximum of 32.9 degrees as Marcelo Bielsa's side needed a late Maxi Araujo goal to avoid an embarrassing defeat.Excluding the games played in Houston, Dallas and Atlanta, where the air-conditioned venues provide respite from outside temperatures, the second-highest maximum temperature was 31 degrees for Belgium's meeting with Egypt in Group G, during which Rudi Garcia's men laboured to a 1-1 draw.Five-time winners Brazil struggled in similar conditions against Morocco in Group C, playing out a 1-1 draw at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where the temperature reached 30.9 degrees.Ivory Coast's 1-0 win over Ecuador was next-hottest with a maximum temperature of 29.4 degrees outside Philadelphia Stadium, meaning the four hottest fixtures have all featured under three goals scored, with the weather conditions a likely factor.Temperatures are regularly reaching the high 20s or even topping 30 degrees but, at the other end of the scale, the lowest maximum temperature was the 16.2 degrees recorded in Austria's 3-1 win over Jordan at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, a huge drop from the highest totals elsewhere which underlines the variability of the conditions.World Cup 2026 fixture schedule - your day-by-day guideWorld Cup 2026 dates, venues and expanded formatSo, how have teams coped with hot temperatures?Consider the fact that the game with the highest combined distance covered in the opening round of group fixtures was the one with the lowest maximum temperature at the tournament between Austria and Jordan, who ran a cumulative total of 239.6km.The game with the lowest distance covered was the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, which took place in a relatively average temperature in Mexico City but featured three red cards, skewing the numbers for running.Generally, teams have run less in higher temperatures so far but the graph above shows some notable exceptions.France were able to run the second-highest distance by any side at the tournament so far despite playing in above average heat in New Jersey, where the maximum temperature was nearly 10 degrees higher than in San Francisco at just under 26 degrees.Their intensity helped blow Senegal away in the second half of that 3-1 win in Group I, while Morocco also clocked impressive numbers in terms of distance covered in their 1-1 draw against Brazil despite the temperature reaching 30.9 degrees at the same venue.The trend line in the graph above suggests USA also overperformed expectations for distance run relative to temperature with their total of 119.9km in their 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles.Michael Olise earned praise for the quality he showed in France's win over Senegal, during which his brilliant through-ball set up Kylian Mbappe's opening goal, but his physical intensity stood out too.As shown below, the Bayern Munich winger, formerly of Crystal Palace, covered 12.6km, the third-highest distance by a player at the tournament after Jordan's Noor Alrawabdeh and Ghana's Caleb Yirenkyi who were playing in considerably cooler conditions in San Francisco and Toronto respectively.Olise wasn't the only France player to push himself during their victory. He is joined among the top 15 players for distance covered at the tournament so far by two team-mates in Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni who also ran over 12km.Olise also registered an impressive number of sprints. His total of 79, according to FIFA, was the second-highest by any player in the first round of group games, behind only Barcelona's Raphinha, who hit 80 in even hotter conditions for Brazil against Morocco.Morocco winger Ismael Saibari, who is joining Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven, registered the third-most sprints in the first round of group fixtures in the same game at 76.FIFA's data for the first round of games suggests that, unlike distance covered and sprints, top speeds are not negatively impacted by higher temperatures, with the trend line in the graph below actually showing a marginal increase in hotter conditions.There are some familiar names among the players to have clocked the highest top speeds so far. Manchester City's Erling Haaland ranks second having reached 36.5km/h during his two-goal performance for Norway against Iraq.France's two-goal hero Kylian Mbappe has to settle for seventh place having hit a top speed of 35.1km/h against Senegal, just below former Spurs player Heung-Min Son, who reached 35.2 km/h even at the age of 33 for South Korea against Czech Republic.Australia full-back Jordan Bos ranks as the quickest player at the tournament so far having hit a top speed of 36.7km/h, while Haaland's Manchester City team-mate Abdukodir Khusanov, who represents Uzbekistan, is third on 36.5km/h.Players who played in air-conditioned stadiums are excluded from the graph above but tracking data shows Djed Spence lived up to his billing by Thomas Tuchel as England's fastest player with a top speed of 35.2km/h during his cameo as a substitute against Croatia, putting him just above Mbappe.Spence wasn't the only player to catch the eye in England's barnstorming display against Croatia. They showed defensive vulnerability in the first half but overwhelmed their opponents after the interval, going man for man and raising their intensity.Factoring all 48 teams in the opening round of games, England ranked ninth for distance covered and fifth for sprints.Their efforts were, however, facilitated by the comfortable conditions inside the air-conditioned Dallas Stadium, which brought the temperature down to around 22 degrees.Tuchel is adamant he won't adapt England's playing style for the heat. He said: "I'm just not ready to adapt into a different style of football because of circumstances that we cannot influence. I think we would just give up our strengths."But keeping up the same intensity against Ghana and Panama in Boston and New Jersey respectively, and indeed further ahead in the tournament, may test his resolve, with temperatures likely to be in the high 20s at their remaining group games, although France show the heat can be beaten.

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CommentsI texted Kylian Mbappe straight after France's win over Senegal when he broke my record to become the all-time record goalscorer for Les Bleus with 58 goals.I wrote: 'Congrats bro, I am really happy for you. Well, I kept the record for three-and-a-half years, and it was great - but now it is yours, and you have to go again... oh, and bro, don't forget to save me your jersey!'.We haven't caught up yet but I've spoken to one of the coaching staff and he said Kylian told him to tell me he got my text, and he will call me soon.Kylian had already promised me he would give me the shirt he was wearing when he overtook my total, and I will be asking for it again when I speak to him.Everyone always asks me what my relationship is like with him and, as I told Radio 5 Live this week, there is a fantastic photograph that sums it up perfectly.This is the picture I was talking about. It was taken after I had broken Thierry Henry's record to become France's top scorer, against Poland at the 2022 World Cup.Kylian set up the goal - it was a great pass, the perfect assist. I ran towards the corner flag to celebrate and did a knee slide and then I turned around to find him jumping into my arms. I said to him 'you know how much I love you, bro'.It was such a special moment for me. He was so happy for me, and I am just as happy that it was him who has beaten me.Now I am between Kylian and Thierry on the list, so it is still not a bad place to be.I think Kylian is misunderstood as a person sometimes, and he is seen as arrogant when he's not. That's why I want to say some positive words about him, because too many people who don't know him personally still judge him and think the other way.He's always been someone who has had so much respect for former players and he has said some kind words for me since I stopped playing for France, about what I brought to the team. He understands that about all his team-mates, and when you get to know him like I did, you realise what he is really like as a person as well as a player.Instead of arrogance, it's actually just confidence, and ambition, he shows when he talks. Even as a teenager when he came into the France squad, he always knew where he wanted to go.Some people have the wrong image of him because he is so comfortable speaking in front of the camera and to the media and he talks with freedom, and in a natural way.But since day one when I first met him he has always been like that - very mature and at ease talking about his game and what he hopes to achieve.Now he is the France captain, and a role model. He's a leader and I hope he will lead the team to our third star - our third World Cup win.On the pitch, Kylian is very demanding with himself and on the team but that is the same about all big stars in every different sport. You need to be like that if you want to achieve great things - you need that kind of belief.As well as being so confident, Kylian is selfish too - but that is not a criticism. The striker is always the most selfish player on the team - he has to be.He showed that with his very first World Cup goal, against Peru in Yekaterinburg in our second group game at Russia 2018.I had not started our first game, against Australia, because I'd been injured in a friendly against USA a week earlier and needed nine stitches in my forehead. It was a bad cut and I nearly missed the whole tournament.Also, Didier Deschamps wanted to try Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and Mbappe up front but it did not really work. He made some subs and I came on to make our winner for Paul Pogba with a deflected goal.That meant Deschamps picked me against Peru, and I was desperate to score this time. Paul put me through and while my shot was blocked, it looped up over the keeper and was bouncing in... but then Kylian is there on the line to turn it in.Afterwards I was asked if I was unhappy at him for 'stealing' my goal but my response then was the same as it is now - absolutely not. I would have done exactly the same - every striker would.Eight years later, after scoring twice against Senegal on Tuesday, Kylian has 14 World Cup goals, only two behind Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi with the most of any player in the history of the tournament.At 27, he has got at least one more World Cup in him, so he is going to beat that record too - or at least he will if Messi ever stops playing!I hope Kylian breaks all the records in front of him, and he has time to do it - his next one for France is for most caps [he has 99, and Hugo Lloris has the most with 145] because he is a special player, and he deserves it.When I think back to when I played with him, I smile. We shared some great moments together for France since 2017 when he first arrived on the national team.We had a great understanding and our games complemented each other - his pace is devastating in a one-on-one but you always need support up front to play a one-two. I was the target man and we knew each other's qualities.Now in this France team you can see the connection he has with Michael Olise, especially for our first goal against Senegal. There is much more of that to come from him in the next few weeks, and I can't wait to see it.Olivier Giroud was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris BevanOlivier Giroud on Mbappe & winning the World CupSoundsIliman Ndiaye: Senegal’s goal is to win World Cup 2026SoundsThe World Cup is bigger than ever - and BBC Sport has an app to matchPlay BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor game

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When John McGinn scored Scotland's first men's World Cup goal in 28 years in the 1-0 win over Haiti, the Aston Villa midfielder celebrated in customary fashion. Mimicking goggles with his hands turned upside down, the toast of the Tartan Army is raising awareness for his nephew Jack, who needs goggles to play football because of his poor eyesight.McGinn and his goggles have gone worldwide in recent days, with his name ringing out on the streets of Boston and on the Fenway Park bleachers.And the 31-year-old does not want any kids in Scotland - or indeed anywhere - to be put off being themselves, hence his iconic celebration."It was for the last major tournament when I didn't score," McGinn told ITV Sport, when asked for the meaning behind the goggles.McGinn 'beaming with pride' - and hopes kids around Scotland are too"But it's not just the reaction from him, and allowing him to be more comfortable playing football with his pals. It's the awareness for young kids all around Scotland, all around the world."McGinn, 31, says he harbours regrets about sometimes teasing other kids in his own youth for wearing glasses, now that he appreciates how challenging it can be.And he also told how parents have got in touch with him about the positive impact it has made on their children's lives.He said: "A lot of parents have got in contact and said 'you've inspired my son to keep his goggles on' or 'you've inspired my kids to have their eyes tested'."If my celebration brings awareness to that then that's the main thing. To do it on the world's biggest stage was special."Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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England will face Greece in the first round of the World Cup qualification play-offs as Sarina Wiegman's side look to book their place at the 2027 World Cup.The first leg of their tie will take place away from home, and should the Lionesses progress, they will take on either Slovakia or Ukraine in the final round to book their place to Brazil.Holders Spain topped the Lionesses' group earlier in qualifying to book their place directly in next year's tournament in Brazil alongside Denmark, France and Germany.Republic of Ireland will take on Kazakhstan, who are ranked 100th in the world. The winners of that tie will face the tough task of either Belgium or Poland.Wales take on Albania, and then they hope to take on the winner of Romania or Norway. Norway are coached by ex-Wales coach Gemma Grainger.Scotland have been drawn against the Czech Republic. If they are successful, they play Lithuania or Sweden. Northern Ireland will play Portugal. The winners of that play Croatia or Iceland.Play-off round one will take place between October 7 and 13th. Round two will be from November 26 to December 5, 2026.The play-offs for the Women's European qualifiers include 32 teams playing in two rounds of home-and-away ties.Teams have been split into two paths for round one, while also being divided into seeded and unseeded groups. England and the Republic of Ireland were both seeded in path 1, while Scotland and Wales are seeded in path 2. Northern Ireland are unseeded in path 2.The eight winners of their respective round one ties progress to round two. Teams that were seeded in round one have been given more favourable ties in round two.The seven best-ranked winners from round two qualify for next year's finals, while the remaining winner will still need to win the inter-confederation play-off.

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Aberdeen will kick off their 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season at home to Hearts on August 1, live on Sky Sports.The Saturday evening clash at Pittodrie, which will kick-off at 5.30pm, is part of a groundbreaking opening weekend that will see all six Scottish Premiership games shown live on Sky Sports for the first time.Aberdeen face a tough start to the new campaign as they play last season's top four across their opening five games.After hosting last season's runners-up Hearts on the opening weekend, Stephen Robinson's side go to Dundee on August 8, before a trip to the team that finished fourth last campaign, Motherwell, on August 22.The Dons then face back-to-back games against the Old Firm in the space of five days.Aberdeen host Rangers on August 29, followed by a visit to defending champions Celtic on September 2 in the first midweek round of fixtures of the new season.Only Falkirk have a harder start to the new season than Aberdeen, according to Sky Sports data.In full: 2026/27 Scottish Premiership fixtures1: Hearts (h) - 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports