Wales 'all In' For 2027 World Cup - Wilkinson

Rhian Wilkinson says Wales must judge they tin situation for a spot astatine nan 2027 Women's World Cup moreover if qualification for nan adjacent European Championship is simply a much realistic target.

Wales person been drawn alongside nan Czech Republic, Albania and Montenegro successful Group B1 successful World Cup qualifying.

With nary opportunity to suffice automatically for nan tourney because they are successful League B, Wales will request to travel done a play-off run which could characteristic 3 stages if they are to declare a spot successful Brazil successful 2027.

Wales are a squad successful modulation pursuing nan world status of prima subordinate Jess Fishlock – positive striker Kayleigh Barton – successful nan aftermath of Euro 2025.

While Wilkinson says Wales are astatine nan commencement of a caller four-year rhythm starring up nan 2029 Euros, she insisted aft Tuesday's tie successful Switzerland that her squad tin equine a World Cup qualification challenge.

"I deliberation we've sewage to judge that we're successful a decent position to spell for nan World Cup," nan Wales caput coach said.

"I realistically deliberation if we're going to beryllium bringing done our young players and giving them acquisition and opportunities that nan four-year rhythm to nan adjacent Euros is erstwhile we'll person nan squad – [although] they'll still beryllium a small young past - successful a much knowledgeable position.

"But we're each successful for this World Cup and looking guardant to giving it everything we have."

On paper, the qualifying draw was reasonably benignant to Wales – though it could person been better.

Wales were successful cookware 1 successful League B, pinch 4 pots successful each league.

Czech Republic were nan second-best classed broadside successful cookware two, beneath Scotland, having travel adjacent to qualifying for Euro 2025 arsenic they mislaid retired to Portugal successful nan play-off 2nd round.

The Czechs are classed 31st successful nan world by Fifa, 1 spot higher than Wales, who they astir precocious met successful 2019, erstwhile nan 2 sides drew 0-0. The lowest-ranked squad successful cookware 2 were Northern Ireland, successful 44th.

Albania are classed 72nd successful nan world – nan lowest successful cookware 3 – while Montenegro, successful 85th, were nan highest-ranked broadside successful cookware four.

Wilkinson said nan tie would time off Wales' unit to "dig correct into our research" arsenic they hole to look unfamiliar opponents.

"I deliberation nan past squad we played was Czech Republic successful 2019 from my speedy research, truthful we don't cognize overmuch astir these teams," she added.

"Czech Republic is evidently up of america successful nan rankings truthful I deliberation it'll beryllium a reliable group and immoderate bully challenges arsenic good - caller guidance to look that we person to hole for."

Wales are successful nan midst of a miserable tally of form, pinch nary triumph successful 11 games since they hit Republic of Ireland successful December 2024 to suffice for Euro 2025, nan first awesome tourney successful their history.

Wales person mislaid 7 games successful succession – their worst tally since nan 1990s – having played a number of higher-ranked sides successful 2025.

Even pinch Fishlock gone, location will beryllium greater anticipation levels arsenic Wales hole return to League B.

When they past played astatine that level, Wilkinson's broadside vanished unbeaten – winning 4 an drafting 2 of six group games – en way to Euro 2025 qualification.

Wilkinson says topping nan group this clip astir is "absolutely" Wales' target.

"I don't deliberation we tin awkward distant from that," she said. "But it will beryllium a reliable occupation to get that done."

In short, it is acold from simple.

Qualifying for nan World Cup follows nan aforesaid format arsenic nan Nations League and is divided into 3 tiers.

Only nan 4 group winners successful League A automatically suffice for nan finals, pinch nan remainder having to travel done play-offs.

The group games will beryllium played crossed six matchdays, connected a location and distant basis, during 2026, starting connected 3 March and finishing connected 9 June.

Assuming they do not decorativeness bottommost of their group – which would beryllium disastrous – Wales will past look nan play-offs precocious successful 2026.

Should Wales triumph their group, their first-round play-off would beryllium against a broadside who decorativeness 2nd aliases 3rd successful a League B pool.

But if Wilkinson's squad decorativeness 2nd aliases 3rd successful their group, they would look a broadside who decorativeness successful 4th spot successful League A aliases a Group B winner.

The 2nd information of nan play-offs is seeded and if, Wales get that far, they would apt look League A opposition.

Even a triumph astatine that shape whitethorn not mean Wales' occupation is done, because nan lowest-ranked of nan 8 European sides who travel done nan play-offs will spell into inter-confederation play-offs successful February 2027. Wales could conceivably beryllium that side.

For nan moment, Wilkinson says, she is not looking beyond Czech Republic, Albania and Montenegro.

"We've sewage to return attraction of nan business successful beforehand of us," she said.

"We person a batch to do and past we'll commencement looking astatine play-offs. That will beryllium nan adjacent point we look at."

The roadworthy to Brazil originates adjacent spring, but location will beryllium different opportunity to hole erstwhile Wales' squad travel together astatine nan extremity of this month.

Wales are hoping to put astatine slightest 1 friendly, which would mean a chance to extremity their losing streak earlier competitory shot returns.

Wilkinson was near disappointment pinch Wales' astir caller defeat, against Poland successful a friends past week, which came connected nan backmost of a constrictive nonaccomplishment to Australia successful Fishlock's farewell game.

Despite those setbacks, Wilkinson says location are affirmative signs for Wales arsenic they look guardant to a caller campaign.

"I deliberation we're successful a bully spot," she said.

"We've had our retirements, we've had our friendlies, truthful I've been capable to look astatine a fewer things.

"I consciousness very assured that we'll spell into that first model [in 2026] excited and fresh to really compete."