Daughter of Scotland and Rangers icon lands first senior call-up ahead of crucial double header
Defender given first Scotland call-up after impressive loan stint.
Everton defender Kenzie Weir has received a first call-up to the Scotland Women’s senior squad for next week's crucial World Cup qualifying double header against Belgium.
The 22-year-old centre-back, the daughter of iconic former Scotland, Rangers and Hearts defender David, has landed her maiden call-up as a late replacement for Rangers’ Leah Eddie, who has been forced to withdraw due to injury.
Currently spending time on loan to Women's Super League 2 outfit Ipswich Town, Weir is promoted from the Scotland Women Under-23 squad, where she has been a regular feature over the last few seasons. Rangers’ Jodi McCleary has also been added to Melissa Andreatta’s squad as a replacement for Celtic’s Maria McAneny.
Weir played four times for the Toffees before joining Ipswich on loan during the January window this season. She had previously been loaned to Glasgow City, where she signed ahead of 2023/24 and regularly played in the Petershill Park defense, scoring her first senior goal in a 3-0 Champions League playoff win over Lithuanian side Gintra.
Placed in World Cup qualifying Group B4 alongside Belgium, Israel and Luxembourg, Andreatta’s side began their campaign with two thumping wins against the latter last month. A Caroline Weir hat-trick helped them secure a comfortable 5-0 win in their opening game, before they beat Rout Leiwinnen 7-0 at Hampden Park just a few days later.
However, a complicated qualification phase means that Scotland is unable to qualify for the World Cup automatically following their relegation from Women’s Nations League A last year. Placed in the second tier of qualifying, they will clinch a World Cup playoff spot by finishing in any of the top three positions in their group.
Ahead of Belgium on goal difference after the first two games, two positive results against Elisabet Gunnarsdottir’s side this week would provide a huge boost to their hopes of qualifying for the Women’s World Cup in 2027. As part of a complex qualifying system, the top spot would see them face a side that finished as runners-up or third place in another League B section in the playoffs.
If they finish second or third, they would, in theory, face a tougher task to qualify via the playoffs, with Scotland scheduled to play against a nation that finished fourth in a League A group, or potentially a Group B winner. These fixtures are scheduled to take place in November. Should Scotland progress past that stage, they will then face one final playoff round. These games are seeded, meaning they are likely to face a side from League A.
Scotland Women are set to face Belgium twice across the next two weeks, with the home fixture taking place at Hibs’ Easter Road on Tuesday, 14 April, before they travel to The King Power at Den Dreef Stadium on Saturday, 18 April. Both matches will kick off at 7.30pm UK time.
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