With little over a year to go until the 2027 Women's World Cup kicks-off, some of the front-runners for the trophy are obvious. Spain, the reigning champions, and England, the 2023 runners-up, who beat La Roja in the European Championship final last summer, are right up there. The United States' Olympic triumph in 2024 saw them reinstate themselves at the top of the international game while Brazil, as hosts and South American champions, will fancy their chances, too. This month's Asian Cup, though, has served as a reminder that Japan should also be considered as being right in that mix.
GOAL tracks all the qualification campaigns for the 2027 Women's World Cup, breaking down which teams have qualified and which nations could soon join them
England's Lionesses have always had great goalscorers. Even before the team was the major contender it is now, winning back-to-back European Championships under Sarina Wiegman and reaching a first Women's World Cup final, they could boast some incredible attacking talent, with Arsenal icon Kelly Smith, widely considered the Lionesses' greatest ever player, a prime example.
Since the Conference League's inception in 2021, three teams have lifted the trophy: Roma, West Ham United, and the current champions, Olympiacos.
How many teams are in the Conference League?
The newest format, introduced ahead of the 2024-25 season, features 36 teams, four more than in the previous format.
Who has made the most Conference League appearances ever?
Mainz 05 midfielder Hong Hyun-seok and Gent captain Sven Kums have made 39 appearances each in the Conference League, making them the players with the most appearances in the competition.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the Conference League?
As for top goalscorers, Arthur Cabral leads the list with 21 goals to his name, including those scored in the qualifying phase. However, without taking into account goals scored in the qualifying phase, three players have scored the joint-most goals in Conference League with 12 each to their names: Arthur Cabral, Eran Zahavi, and Vangelis Pavlidis.
Who has the most assists in the history of the Conference League?
Darian Males, Gavriel Kanichowsky, and Cristiano Biraghi have the most assists in Conference League history, registering eight assists each.
Who is the oldest player ever in the Conference League and how old was he?
Veteran Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina, while playing for Villarreal in 2023, became the oldest player to feature in the Conference League at 40 years and 175 days.
Who is the youngest player ever in the Conference League and how old was he?
Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi holds the record as the Conference League's youngest-ever player at the tender age of 16 years and 3 days.
Which famous players have played in the Conference League?
Stars such as Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Tammy Abraham, Declan Rice, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins,Co Mario Gotze, Kasper Schmeichel, Cody Gakpo, Stephan El Shaarawy, James Maddison, Jonathan David, and Edin Dzeko have played in the Conference League.
Which famous managers have managed in the Conference League?
Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho, Unai Emery, David Moyes, and Ange Postecoglou are among the most famous managers to have managed in the Conference League.