Wales Set to Face Albania in World Cup Play-Offs Round One
Wales will need to overcome Albania and subsequently either Romania or Norway in consecutive two-legged play-off matches to secure a spot in the 2027 Women's World Cup.
During their League B Group 1 qualifying campaign, Rhian Wilkinson's team competed against Albania, achieving victories in both fixtures: a 4-0 win at home in Wrexham and a 1-0 win away.
Wales topped League B Group 1, finishing ahead of the Czech Republic, while Albania placed third in the same group. In the first round of the play-offs, Wales will play the first leg away and host Albania in the second leg.
If Wales win this tie on aggregate, they will face the winners of the match between Romania and Norway in the second round. Norway is managed by former Wales coach Gemma Grainger. Should Wales advance, they will play the second leg of round two away from home.
This path presents a significant challenge, as Wales will likely need to defeat a top-20 ranked side in a competitive match for the first time to reach their inaugural World Cup finals.
Assuming Wales progress past Albania, Norway is the expected opponent in round two, unless Romania causes an upset despite the 39-place gap in the world rankings between the two teams.
In their last encounter during the Euro 2022 qualifying campaign, Wales were defeated by Norway both home and away. Norway currently holds the 14th position in the world rankings, having finished second to Germany in their qualifying group.
Despite the difficulty, this challenge is not insurmountable for Wales. Head coach Wilkinson is expected to embrace the opportunity as she aims to lead Wales to only the second major tournament in the nation's history.
Play-Off Draw
- Kazakhstan v Republic of Ireland
- Slovakia or Ukraine v Greece or England
- Finland or Serbia v Belarus or Italy
- Northern Ireland or Portugal v Croatia or Iceland
- Albania or Wales v Romania or Norway
- Israel or Switzerland v Kosovo or Austria
- Czech Republic or Scotland v Lithuania or Sweden
- Belgium or Poland v Kazakhstan or the Republic of Ireland
- Turkey or Slovenia v Hungary or Netherlands
