rss-bridge 2026-03-01T05:08:22+00:00

World Cup qualifiers mean a fresh start for Wales

The beginning of World Cup qualifying means a fresh start for Rhian Wilkinson's Wales.

World Cup qualifiers mean a fresh start for Wales

[Wales' Esther Morgan, Rhiannon Roberts and Sophie Ingle in training this week]
FAW

Wales are looking to reach a first World Cup in 2027 after missing out on the 2023 tournament following play-off defeat to Switzerland

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

1 March 2026, 05:08 GMT

4 Comments

Updated 05:08 GMT

A new qualifying campaign, a fresh start and a chance for Wales to show there is life after Jess Fishlock.

Wales will begin their latest bid to reach a first Women's World Cup in the Czech Republic on Tuesday with their greatest player in the dugout rather than the heart of midfield.

While Fishlock's playing career continues at club level, she has a new role with Wales this week - as a technical assistant to Rhian Wilkinson – having retired from international football last October.

As a result, Wales start Group B1 knowing part of the challenge in this qualifying campaign will be to cope with the loss of the most influential player in their history.

Wilkinson has suggested qualification for Euro 2025 may be a more realistic target than the 2027 World Cup as her squad readjusts.

Nevertheless, the Wales head coach is demanding progress as she attempts to mould a team capable of "pushing the top countries in the world".

Czech Republic v Wales

Women's World Cup qualifying

Tuesday, 3 March at 17:30 GMT

City Stadium, Uherske Hradiste

Watch on iPlayerListen on Sounds

Watch live on BBC Two Wales and iPlayer from 17:15 GMT; radio commentary on BBC Sounds via BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru; text commentary and match highlights on BBC Sport website and app.

'A job to be done'

Having been relegated from the top level of the Nations League last year, Wales will hope for better results in a second-tier group which also features Montenegro and Albania.

But regardless of who they are up against, Wilkinon's squad know that part of the battle over the next three months – and in the play-off games which should come further down the line – will be coping without the experience and quality of Fishlock.

Kayleigh Barton, another long-time mainstay of the squad, is another who leaves a void having retired following Euro 2025.

With vacancies to fill, opportunity knocks for some of Wales' emerging talents.

"The young players coming through, you need to see them for this next four-year cycle, or two years for the World Cup," Wilkinson said.

"I always think [a new qualifying campaign] feels like a new beginning and a new opportunity. I know the players feel the same way."

[Mared Griffiths lifts a weight above her head in the gym]
FAW

Mared Griffiths is among the young players who are hoping to establish themselves as Wales regulars

When they were most recently in League B, en route to Euro 2025, Wales went unbeaten in a group which also included Croatia, Ukraine and Kosovo.

The target will be to do something similar this time around, though the Czechs are one place above Wales – in 31st compared to 32nd – in the current Fifa rankings.

On paper, Tuesday's game in Uherske Hradiste is the toughest in the group for Wales, given that Albania are ranked 71st in the world and Montenegro 84th.

When asked whether there may be some opportunities during this campaign to experiment a little, Wilkinson was quick to highlight the Czech Republic's ranking.

"I think that there's a job to be done. Experimentation is one thing and getting the job done is another," she added.

"There's got to be opportunities for the players. So we've got to make sure that I'm seeing everyone, that they're showing what they can deliver, while at the same time making sure we're taking care of the work on the pitch first."

A chance for players to show they are 'ready'

[Rhian Wilkinson speaks to the media]
FAW

After their opening game in the Czech Republic, Wales will face Montenegro in Llanelli in their second World Cup qualifier

Whether Wales can afford to make changes or not will become apparent over the next three months.

What is clear before a ball is kicked is that this group represents a step down in class after Wales tackled various heavyweight opponents in 2025.

Having qualified for the first women's major tournament in their history thanks to play-off victory over the Republic of Ireland in December 2024, Wales endured a 12-game winless run which ended with a friendly triumph over Switzerland in December 2025.

Wales were humbled at the European Championship, where they were well beaten by the Netherlands, France and England.

They had warmed up for the tournament with Nations League relegation, after two defeats to both Denmark and Italy and two draws with Sweden.

The struggles continued into the autumn, as Fishlock said farewell in a friendly defeat to Australia.

Wales were then overwhelmed by Poland in another friendly before their end-of-year camp in Spain brought welcome respite.

6 January

3 days ago

Wilkinson balancing motherhood with management

After an encouraging draw with South Korea, Wales beat Switzerland 3-2 in Jerez to lift the "burden" that came with a winless sequence which Wilkinson acknowledges "was really hard".

Wilkinson's hope is that the trials of last year will ensure her team enjoy more success in 2026, given that they have "learned so much against top opposition".

"We look back at the year before, 2024, and the average placing of teams that we played was somewhere around the 60th in the world, while it was 11th in 2025," she said.

"I think if we were to play a team where we win 6-0, what are we learning? Those games are fun every now and then, don't get me wrong, but it's really important to make sure that I stress the players, that I see who crumbles under pressure, that I see who steps up.

"We have got a very young squad hopefully coming through who are going to need blooding in, who are going to need those stressful experiences to know whether they're ready for this World Cup campaign."

World Cup qualifiers mean a fresh start for Wales