Angharad James says Wales studied play-off history before Albania return leg

Wales captain Angharad James says the squad has revisited past play-off victories and defeats before Tuesday’s Women’s World Cup qualifying return leg against Albania at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli. Wales lead 1-0 after the first leg, but must get through another round if they are to reach the 2027 tournament in Brazil.

James told BBC Sport Wales that the players held a meeting on the first day of camp to bring the group together and discuss what representing Wales in a play-off means. The session included experiences from players who have endured a painful World Cup qualifying exit and helped secure the team’s first major tournament place.

Why Wales revisited earlier play-offs

James was part of the Wales side beaten by Switzerland in the final stage of qualification for the 2023 World Cup. Wales conceded late in extra time in that October 2022 play-off, ending a campaign that had brought them close to a first major tournament. James said that loss remains part of the experience the squad can pass on.

There was a different outcome on the road to Euro 2025. Wales beat Slovakia and then the Republic of Ireland in play-offs to qualify for the women’s team’s first major tournament. James said the contrast between losing in Switzerland and winning in Dublin had fuelled the team, and that players shared both experiences with the current group.

James, a Seattle Reign midfielder, has made 146 appearances for Wales and is four short of 150. Her experience spans both of those play-off campaigns, but she has urged the team to approach Albania as a new 90-minute match rather than rely on the advantage brought back from the first leg.

The 1-0 lead Wales take into the Albania match

The Football Association of Wales records a 1-0 win for Wales in the first leg in Shkodër. The return match is scheduled for 19:15 BST on Tuesday 13 October at Parc y Scarlets, where Wales will try to turn that narrow lead into a place in the next round.

Elise Hughes said Albania had caused Wales problems in the opening game and warned against taking the return leg for granted. James has likewise urged Wales to treat it as a fresh contest. The one-goal advantage gives Wales a lead, but the tie was still undecided when the players spoke.

In its squad announcement, the FAW said Wales had won four matches and drawn two in qualifying, scored 17 goals and remained unbeaten in 2026 up to that point. Those results gave the team a route into the play-offs, where further wins are required to reach the World Cup.

The squad also includes players new to the senior international setup. The FAW named six uncapped players for the Albania fixtures and listed several players unavailable through injury, including Hayley Ladd, Laura Hughes and Ceri Holland. That gives the history shared by James and her teammates a practical purpose for a group with differing play-off experience.

What Wales must do to reach the 2027 World Cup

Victory over Albania across the two legs would send Wales into another two-leg tie against Romania or Norway, scheduled for 1 and 5 December 2026. The identity of their next opponent therefore depends on the other first-round result as well as Wales completing their own tie.

Even a second-round win would not give every team the same route to Brazil. Under the FAW’s account of the format, seven of the eight second-round winners qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The remaining winner must go through inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027.

James said she believes the qualification process should be simplified. The BBC report did not set out specific changes she wanted, so her comment does not establish a proposed alternative format. For Wales, the immediate task is the Albania return leg; the second round and any further qualifying match depend on results still to come.

The Albania result was still outstanding at the time of James’s remarks. Wales enter Tuesday’s game with a one-goal advantage and a squad that has discussed both the disappointment of Switzerland and the breakthrough against Ireland. The match in Llanelli will determine whether that preparation carries them into December’s play-off round.