Wales already have an eye on 2027 World Cup qualification – Rhiannon Roberts

Rhiannon Roberts says Wales already have an eye on 2027 World Cup qualification ahead of their first major tournament appearance at the European Championship.

Wales complete their Nations League fixtures in Denmark on Friday and at home to Italy four days later with an instant return to European football’s second tier a real possibility.

Rhian Wilkinson’s side are four points from safety and relegation will be a blow ahead of the Euros in Switzerland this summer.

But, with the qualifying path to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil based on the Nations League’s overall phase ranking, there is another powerful case for Wales to climb off the bottom of Group A4.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about the Euros,” said veteran Real Betis defender Roberts.

“But we are here to do a job in these next two games and that’s all preparation for the Euros.

“So for us as a group, and individuals as well, we are focusing on preparing the best way we can.

“We want to win both games to try and stay in League A and also give ourselves the best opportunity for the next World Cup too.”

Catch up

Wales have twice held group leaders Sweden, ranked sixth in the world, to encouraging draws.

But narrow defeats to Denmark and Italy have left Wales playing catch-up in the Nations League ahead of their Euro 2025 dates with England, France and the Netherlands.

“The foundations defensively have been fantastic,” said Roberts.

“We’ve conceded the least amount of goals in our league, which is a real credit to the whole team.

“The pressure is on us to create more chances against top nations and take those chances.

“We are fighting for shirts, we are fighting to be in that squad (in Switzerland), which is just increasing the intensity in training as well.

“The way you train on the pitch is the way you take things into games.”

Liverpool

Roberts was a Liverpool player between 2018 and 2023, being part of the team that won the Championship title in 2022 to gain promotion to the Women’s Super League.

The 34-year-old said it was “devastating” to see people hurt after a car ploughed into a crowd following the Reds’ Premier League trophy parade in the city on Monday evening.

Roberts said: “I spent five years at Liverpool and everyone wanted to celebrate the men winning the Premier League.

“It’s been overshadowed slightly by what’s happened, which is devastating really.

“It’s madness and all our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by it.”