Flames face a winding road to the 2027 World Cup

On 8 October 2026 this article reports that Belgium will start the first leg of the play‑offs against Poland tomorrow, on 9 October. Four matches separate the Red Flames from a first World Cup participation, but even two won two‑leg ties do not guarantee it. The overview lists Football, Cycling, Tennis, Formula 1, Basketball and Cyclo‑cross alongside this programme. More information is available via the article.

Play‑off round against Poland

The first opponent is Poland, a two‑leg tie that is first played at home on Friday. The return leg takes place on Tuesday in Poland. A victory will take the Flames to a second round at the end of November or the beginning of December.

In the second round a opponent from Ireland or Kazakhstan awaits, also in a two‑leg tie. This confrontation is scheduled for the end of November and the beginning of December, depending on the outcome of the first round.

Europe has eleven direct World Cup tickets. Four of them have already been allocated to Germany, Denmark, Spain and France, who won their qualification groups.

Complex qualification path

The remaining seven tickets are allocated via the play‑offs, where eight countries survive both rounds but only seven go directly to Brazil. The eighth country must win an extra match through intercontinental play‑offs.

For the Flames, the position in the overall ranking is 22nd, a frozen B‑division nation that must surpass all A‑teams. This creates a real risk that Belgium ends up in the unfavorable eighth place.

Should Belgium take that eighth position, a final confrontation against a non‑European country awaits in February 2027. A victory in that intercontinental play‑off would still secure World Cup participation.

For the Red Flames this means they may have to win five matches instead of four to achieve their first World Cup participation. The first obstacle, however, remains the victory over Poland in the upcoming first leg.