Wales secured a narrow 1-0 away victory over Albania in their Women's World Cup qualifier, staying second in Group B1.
Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson expressed satisfaction after her team earned a hard-fought triumph despite an underwhelming display in Albania. Wales had comfortably beaten the same opponents 4-0 in Wrexham just six days earlier. On a tense evening in Elbasan, Rhiannon Roberts’ lone goal preserved Wales’ qualification hopes for Brazil 2027.
Today was a hard day, Wilkinson said. I think we struggled in moments of the game, but I am really pleased that we found a way to win.
The narrow victory keeps Wales in second place in Group B1 on goal difference, behind leaders Czech Republic who defeated Montenegro 4-1 on the same day. Wilkinson’s side now face Montenegro away on June 5, 2026, before closing the group stage with a home match against the Czechs four days later.
It is a hard group, she added. We have to make sure we show up in every game and I think we learned that today, that there are no gimmes, no givens in this group. We have got to make sure we earn the three points.
Rhiannon Roberts’ strike in the first half—despite Albanian protests over a potential handball—decided a tight encounter where Wales dominated possession for long stretches. The visitors also weathered defensive alarms as Albania hit the woodwork twice.
They executed their game-plan fantastically well and made life very difficult for us, Wilkinson noted.
Wilkinson credited Albania for rewarding Wales with a sterner test than in the reverse fixture. She highlighted Albania’s disciplined five-player defensive line and aggressive midfielders, which created unfamiliar spaces and slowed Wales’ rhythm.
They played a sitting five who didn’t jump out as much. The midfield were the ones jumping out which gave us different types of spaces that took us a bit too long to figure out, she explained. In general I think there were a lot of similarities [to last Tuesday’s game], but we just weren’t as sharp.
The path to top spot in Group B1 appears likely to come down to the final match, with only goal difference separating Wales and Czech Republic. Wilkinson emphasized that every point must be earned in the remaining games, noting the group’s competitiveness.
Wales’ next two matches will determine whether they secure a favorable playoff route later in 2026. The outcome of these fixtures could shape their route to Brazil 2027.