One place remaining – four nations left. From 8-18 November at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai Belgium, Brazil, Namibia and Samoa will battle it out to become the final nation to join Australia 2027.

Over three match days (8, 13 and 18 November), the teams will meet in a single round robin format where every match will be decisive. Slip up once and your RWC dreams may be over.

Match Day one sees Samoa take on Brazil in the early game at 17.00 local time (GMT+4) while in the later match at 19:30 (GMT+4) Belgium face Namibia in a game that will be crucial for both nations hopes of progressing.

SAMOA v BRAZIL

Venue: The Sevens Stadium, Dubai
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia)
Assistant referees: Eoghan Cross (Ireland), Griffin Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

It’s a much changed Samoa team that will face Os Tupis of Brazil in the RWC 2027 Final Qualification Tournament opener, in the first ever meeting of these two nations. The Manu Samoa line-up features nine changes to the team that lost 31-12 to Chile in Viña del Mar in the second leg of the South America/Pacific play-off back in September.

That result sent Samoa to Dubai and left them with a final mountain to climb if they are to keep their proud record of appearing in every RWC since 1991 intact. In come hooker Millenium Sanerivi, prop Tietie Tuimauga, flanker and captain Theo McFarland, number eight Iakopo Mapu, scrum-half Jonathan Taumateine, fly-half Rodney Iona, winger Vaafauese Apelu Maliko, centre Tumua Manu and fullback Jacob Umaga. 

While out go Pita Ah Sue, Bradley Amisoneau’i, Olajuwon Noa, Abraham Papali’I, Connor Tupa’i, Martini Talapusi, Theodore Steffany, Tomasi Alosio and Lolagi Visinia. The match marks the debut for Sanerivi after impressive performances for Moana Pasifika in this year's Super Rugby Pacific.

There is particular interest around Umaga, who plays his second test for Samoa after debuting against Scotland back in July. The talented full-back/fly-half played one game for England in 2021, and then changed allegiance to Samoa following the change in eligibility laws which allows players to represent a second country on birthright transfer after sitting out an qualification period. Former USA prop Titi Lamositele, who is among the replacements, also benefits from the change.

It’s a mark of the strength of Samoa’s squad that a third newly eligible player, former Wallaby Scott Sio, isn’t even included on the bench despite his 74 caps for Australia.

Brazil’s team also shows six changes to the team that lost to Paraguay in the second leg of the Sudamericano 2025 third-place play-off in October. Os Tupis were defeated in both matches but earned their chance in Dubai due to the voluntary withdrawal of Paraguay after they discovered they had fielded an ineligible player.

Director of Rugby Josh Reeves has cast a vast net to assemble the strongest squad from players around the world including Caique Segura and Théo Bastardie from France, Raphael Hollister from England, Devon Muller from South Africa, and Leonel Moreno from Italian rugby.

But sadly missing are injured captain Cleber Dias, with centre Lorenzo Massari Temer taking over, and elusive Biarritz winger Carlo Mignot, who is in Dubai but not fit to face Samoa. Making his 50th test appearance is mobile number eight Andre Arruda, who much of Brazil's attacking structure will centre around.

It’s a daunting challenge for Brazil, who like Samoa are yet to win a match in 2025, but Os Tupis will be desperate to keep alive their dream of a maiden Men’s RWC appearance, to emulate the Women’s team who played in their first RWC in England earlier this year.

Matchday squads

SAMOA
1 Jarred Adams, 2 Millenium Sanerivi, 3 Tietie Tuimauga, 4 Ben Nee-Nee, 5 Michael Curry, 6 Theo McFarland (captain), 7 Alamanda Motuga, 8 Iakopo Petelo-Mapu,9 Jonathan Taumateine, 10 Rodney Iona, 11 Vaafauese Apelu Maliko, 12 Tumua Manu, 13 Melani Nanai, 14 Latrell Ah Kiong, 15 Jacob Umaga.  

Replacements: 16 Lutero Tolai, 17 Titi Lamositele, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Taleni Seu, 20 Niko Jones, 21 Connor Tupa’i, 22 Faletoi Peni, 23 Lalomilo Lalomilo

BRAZIL
1 Caique Segura, 2 Wilton Rebolo, 3 Leonel Moreno, 4 Matteo Dell’Acqua, 5 Gabriel Oliveira,6 Adrio de Melo, 7 Matheus Cláudio, 8 André Arruda, 9 Lucas Spago, 10 João do Amaral, 11 Robert Tenório, 12 Raphael Hollister, 13 Lorenzo Massari (captain), 14 Théo Bastardie, 15 Lucas Tranquez.

Replacements: 16 Henrique Ferreira, 17 Brendon Alves, 18 Vicente Galvão, 19 Ben Donald, 20 Renato Santos, 21 Devon Muller, 22 Thiago Oviedo, 23 Robson Morais.

BELGIUM v NAMIBIA

Venue: The Sevens Stadium, Dubai
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Damián Schneider (Argentina), Griffin Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)

Belgium and Namibia have been so focused on their opening match up in the FQT that both captains refused to discuss opponents they may meet later on.

The stakes couldn’t be any higher. This is a must win game for both the Black Devils of Belgium and the Welwitschias of Namibia to stand any chance of confirming their place at Australia 2027.

Belgium come into the tournament on the back of consistent form and couldn’t be better prepared under head coach Laurent Dossat, while for Namibia it has been all change with the recent elevation of Springbok legend Pieter Rossouw to the head coaching role.

The Black Devils will rely on their outstanding work rate at the breakdown. According to Opta stats, Belgium slowed down their opponents’ rucks to a greater extent than any other side in the 2025 Rugby Europe Championship (3.51s) and won the most jackal turnovers per game of any other team in this year’s competition (3.6).

But they also excelled with ball in hand: Belgium committed 2+ opposition tacklers from a higher share of their carries than any other side in this year’s Championship (55%) and were one of just two sides to beat 30+ defenders per game (31.2), alongside eventual champions Georgia (43.2).

Pivotal for Belgium will be back-row and captain Jean-Maurice Decubber, who made at least five more dominant tackles than any other player in the Championship (17) and won eight jackal turnovers – only one other player won even half as many.

But Belgium also have quality out wide with identical twins, fly-half Matias Remue and outside centre Florian Remue, sure to test the Namibia defensive line.

For Namibia they will look to hard running flanker Wian Conradie to stretch Belgium. Conradie was the only player to make 200+ carries in the Major League Rugby season (215), also ranking in the top three for both metres in contact (327, third) and dominant tackles (22, second).

Rossouw has called on experience recalling veterans JC Greyling and Johan Deysel who have not represented Namibia since RWC 2023 in France. Vice-captain Danco Burger will also look to leave an impression on the Belgium centre pairing, who are missing injured captain Jens Torfs.

This first-ever meeting between the two nations is a match that could go either way, and in a high-pressure environment starting well will do much to determine the result.

MATCHDAY SQUADS

NAMIBIA
1. Otja Auala, 2. Louis van der Westhuizen (captain), 3.Haitembu Shikufa, 4.Adriaan Ludick, 5. Tiaan de Klerk, 6. Wian Conradie, 7. Max Katjijeko, 8. Adriaan Booysen, 9. Helarius Kisting, 10. Andre van der Berg, 11. JC Greyling, 12. Danco Burger), 13 .Johan Deysel, 14. Divan Rossouw, 15. Jay-Cee Nel

Replacements: 16. Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17. Gianluca Savoldelli, 18. Aranos Coetzee, 19. Johan Retief, 20. Prince !Gaoseb, 21. Johan Luttig, 22. Jacques Theron, 23. Cliven Loubser

BELGIUM
1. Charles-Henri Berguet, 2. Alexandre Raynier, 3. Jean-Baptiste Declercq, 4. Toon Deceuninck, 5. Maximilien Hendrickx, 6. Jean-Maurice Decubber (captain), 7. William van Bost, 8. Felipe Geraghty, 9. Julien Berger, 10. Matias Remue, 11. Thomas Wallraf, 12. Maxime Vacquier, 13. Florian Remue, 14. Ervin Muric, 15. Simeon Soenen

Replacements: 16. Vincent Tauzia, 17. Bruno Vliegen, 18. Maxime Jadot, 19. Maurice Fromont, 20. Jeremie Brasseur, 21. Isaac Montoisy, 22. Hugo De Francq, 23. Dazzy Cornez

For those in Dubai, all Final Qualification Tournament matches at The Sevens Stadium will be free to attend for spectators and rugby fans, while for those that can't be there in person, the tournament will be available to watch everywhere in the world, either through local broadcast partners or free via RugbyPass TV.