For the first time, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will expand to 32 teams this summer. This was not a universally popular move at the time it was made, but it has given opportunities for new teams to qualify. Eight in total have made the tournament for the first time, three of which came through the inter-confederation playoffs.
These playoffs were a categorical success. They provided a non-stop supply of drama, with high stakes and quality play. Even teams who didn’t make it, such as Paraguay and Chinese Taipei, got an opportunity to showcase their ability, with games shown on the FIFA Plus platform. In the end, Portugal, Haiti and Panama came through, with two of the three teams coming from Concacaf.
Here’s how they did it.
Group A: Portugal
As expected, Portugal claimed a place in World Cup Group E alongside the United States, the Netherlands and Vietnam, beating Cameroon 2-1 in their playoff. Their route to the finals was more complicated than it perhaps should have been, though — after controlling the game for long spells, they let…
