Wales captain Angharad James has declared that securing a spot in the FIFA Women’s World Cup remains her primary focus as the national team prepares for a crucial playoff semi-final first leg against Albania on Friday.
The match, taking place in Shkoder, represents a pivotal moment for Welsh women’s football, with the squad aiming to become the first from the nation to appear at the global tournament. Manager Rhian Wilkinson’s team will travel back to Parc y Scarlets for the return leg next Tuesday, where victory would send them to a December playoff final against either Norway or Romania.
James, a 32-year-old midfielder for Seattle Reign, acknowledged the difficulties lying ahead. She noted that even after navigating the European playoffs, Wales could still face inter-confederation play-offs in February to secure their place in next year’s tournament in Brazil.
“It’s always in the back of my mind,” James said regarding her World Cup ambitions. “I’ve always wanted to play in a World Cup and I think if you ask the majority of the group, the way we turn up and train and play every day for our club is for moments like this with our national team.”
The captain emphasized her commitment to extra preparation, stating, “Every day I’ll make sure I do extras. I do everything that I can to best prepare myself and the team to reach the first World Cup.”
James was instrumental in the squad that ended Wales’ long wait for a major championship appearance by helping them qualify for Euro 2025. Building on that success, Wales topped Group B4 during the World Cup qualifying group stage. However, because there is no automatic qualification path for teams in League B, they now face a rigorous playoff route starting in Albania.
Despite dealing with injury setbacks that have depleted the squad, Wales are favorites to advance over Albania, whom they defeated twice during the group phase. A potential final against Norway, managed by former Wales boss Gemma Grainger, would present a significantly tougher challenge, given Norway’s status as the 14th-ranked team in the world.
James expressed confidence in her teammates’ abilities. “We know it’s not an easy road ahead of us,” she admitted. “It’s a big challenge… But it’s one that I truly believe this group can get through. With the help of the staff and the whole squad, we can achieve big things and reaching the World Cup would be the biggest honour.”
Looking further ahead, James called for reforms to the qualification structure, highlighting the anomaly where a playoff winner might still not qualify automatically. “You play a final and you could win the final and still not reach the World Cup,” she said. “So as players, do you celebrate that moment, do you not? It’s mixed emotions, but hopefully the pathway will change in the near future.”
Under the current format, eight European playoff winners will emerge, with seven earning direct passage to Brazil. The eighth spot goes to the lowest-ranked nation from the qualifying group stage, which will enter the inter-confederation play-offs.
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