2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification

Qualification for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup determined which 15 teams joined China, the hosts of the 2007 tournament, to play for the Women's World Cup. Europe had 5 qualifying berths, Asia 3.5 berths (including the hosts), North and Central America 2.5 berths, Africa 2 berths, South America 2 berths and Oceania 1 berth. The 16th spot was determined through a play-off match between the third-placed teams in North/Central America and Asia.

Africa

The 2006 Women's African Football Championship functioned as a qualifying tournament. Originally, this tournament was scheduled to be held in Gabon, but due to "organisational reasons" Gabon withdrew from hosting the competition. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/4915736.stm Gabon pulls out of hosting AWC] , from BBC, retrieved 29 May 2006] 32 teams entered the African Championships and competed for the two available spots, but six withdrew during the qualifying session.

On 7 November 2006, fbw|NGA and fbw|GHA qualified by virtue of winning their semifinal matches.

Asia

:main|2006 AFC Women's Championship

The 2006 AFC Women's Championship functioned as a qualifying tournament. The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Japan, but after the Football Federation Australia moved from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation, the Australian team entered the qualifying series. They were awarded hosting rights in February 2006 [ [http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/default.aspx?s=insideffa_newsfeatures_newsitem&id=9860 Australia To Host AFC Women's Championship 2006] , from Football Federation Australia, retrieved 29 May 2006] . The Championship took place between 16 July 2006 and 30 July 2006. Since fbw|CHN, the host nation of Women's World Cup 2007, proceeded to the final, another finalist, fbw|AUS and third-placed fbw|PRK, were qualified for the World Cup finals. Fourth-placed fbw|JPN qualified for a play-off match with fbw|MEX, the third-placed team from the 2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup.

Europe

:main|FIFA Women's World Cup 2007 qualification (UEFA)The 25 teams belonging to the First Category of European women's football were drawn into five groups, from which the group winners qualified for the World Cup finals. [ [http://www.fifa.com/en/womens/WWCTables/0,4802,1-UEFA-Y,00.html UEFA preliminaries] , from FIFA.com, retrieved 30 June 2006] . The qualifiers concluded on 30 September 2006 with fbw|NOR, fbw|SWE, fbw|GER, fbw|DEN and fbw|ENG qualifying.

North America, Central America & Caribbean

The 2006 Women's Gold Cup acted as qualifier tournament for CONCACAF. The tournament finals took place between 19 November and 26 November 2006 [ [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesw/wom-gold06.html Women's Gold Cup] , from RSSSF, retrieved 29 May 2006] . USA and Canada received direct qualifying spots after contesting the final of the 2002 Gold Cup, while four other spots were determined through regional qualifying.

On November 22, 2006, fbw|USA and fbw|CAN qualified by virtue of winning their semifinal matches, while fbw|MEX qualified for a play-off match with fbw|JPN after defeating Jamaica in the 2006 Gold Cup 3rd place match.

Oceania

One spot was awarded to the winner of the 2007 OFC Women's Championship held 9 April through 13 April 2007 in Papua New Guinea [ [http://www.rsssf.com/tableso/oc-women07.html Oceania's Women's Championship 2007 (Papua New Guinea)] , retrieved 22 March 2007] .

fbw|NZL won this tournament and qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. It's the second time they are part of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the other being in 1991.

outh America

The 2006 Sudamericano Femenino acted as qualifier for CONMEBOL. Originally, a women's football tournament at the 2006 South American Games in Buenos Aires would serve as qualifier tournament, but the South American Games committee scrapped football from the games, forcing the Argentine Football Association to organize a tournament on short notice. [ [http://www.conmebol.com/articulos_ver_federacion.jsp?id=59105&jobid=71186&slangab=E Argentina called its women's national team with a view to Odesur] , from Conmebol.com, retrieved 27 July 2006]

On November 24, fbw|BRA qualified by earning six points. fbw|ARG qualified on November 26 by defeating Brazil and earning a total of 7, thus winning the tournament.

AFC-CONCACAF Play-off

footballbox
date = March 10, 2007
team1 = fbw-rt|JPN
score = 2 – 0
team2 = fbw|MEX
goals1 = Sawa goal|37
Miyama goal|69
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=521/edition=249172/matches/match=57339/report.html Report]
goals2 =
stadium =National Stadium, Tokyo
referee =Beck (Germany)
attendance= 10,107----footballbox
date = March 17, 2007
team1 = fbw-rt|MEX
score = 2 – 1
team2 = fbw|JPN
goals1 = Leyva goal|18|pen
Domínguez goal|29
goals2 = Arakawa goal|12
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=521/edition=249172/matches/match=57338/report.html Report]
stadium =Estadio Nemesio Díez, Toluca
attendance= 20,000
referee= Petignat (Switzerland)

Qualified teams

The following teams qualified for the tournament:

References and notes