Article body analysed

This video can not be played 'A Brazil World Cup? That would be pretty cool' - Angharad James Captain Angharad James says Wales have a first Women's World Cup "in their sights" as they set out on the long road to Brazil in the Czech Republic on Tuesday. Wales begin their bid to reach a second successive major tournament with a testing World Cup qualifier in Uherske Hradiste. The meeting with the Czechs is the first of six games for Rhian Wilkinson's side in Group B1. With no automatic qualification place on offer, Wales must finish in the top three of a group which also features Montenegro and Albania to qualify for the play-offs. Wales must then negotiate two ties against European opponents, while they may also have to win an inter-confederation play-off to qualify for Brazil 2027. James has described the qualification process as "a little complex" but insists Wales will be driven by the chance to reach the World Cup for the first time. "We have our eyes set on the future of course. We've spoken about that, the journey, and we spoke about it before the Euros too, " the Seattle Reign midfielder said. Czech Republic v Wales Women's World Cup qualifying Tuesday, 3 March at 17: 30 GMT City Stadium, Uherske Hradiste Watch live on BBC Two Wales and i Player from 17: 15 GMT; radio commentary on BBC Sounds via BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru; text commentary and match highlights on BBC Sport website and app. "[It is the World Cup] and the World Cup in Brazil too - that would be pretty cool. "It's in our sights, but we have to take it each game at a time. " Wales' opening group fixture is likely to provide a stern examination for Wilkinson's side, who have not played since a 3-2 friendly win over Switzerland in December. The Czechs have never reached a major tournament but are ranked 31st in the world, one place above Wales. "It's going to be a tough game, " James added. "We've reviewed them and they're a very direct team. They're a team that are very good at what they do. "We have to counteract that and bring our game to the game and hopefully, if we do that, we get the result we want. " Wilkinson urges Wales to build 'legacy' Angharad James led Wales at Euro 2025, the nation's first major women's tournament James has not played since the Switzerland win because Seattle Reign's National Women's Soccer League campaign ended in November, although she was involved in pre-season before joining up with Wales last week. James also struggled for game-time after returning to her club following Euro 2025. Even so, the 31-year-old says she is in a good place as she prepares to win her 140th cap. "I worked so hard in the off-season to make sure that I'm ready for Wales and Wales always comes first in my eyes, " James said. "So if I knew that I had to be ready for this game, I'll make sure that I am at the best I can be for this game. " When asked about her lack of minutes for Reign in the autumn, James added: "I think there'd be something wrong if I didn't think about it. "Do I want to play more football? Of course I do. And am I going to push to play more this year? Yeah, I am. "So I'm in a good place and hopefully I can go back and hit the ground running after two games here with Wales. " World Cup qualifiers mean a fresh start for Wales Wales boss Wilkinson to continue rotating keepers Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser The one that got away - Carrick returns to Tyneside Should we have high hopes for Hamilton and Ferrari? F1 Q&A Key areas for Scotland against champions France A classic studio concert by Oasis All the latest action from the Premier League reviewed An intense drama where AI deepfakes have blurred reality The army officer who made history at the 1952 Summer Olympics Can Chelsea kick-start faltering Palmer? 'I cheated head-injury assessment to play on in 2017 Lions Test' 'Clubs refused to look at me after my crash' - Antonio on Qatar move How can football's lawmakers fix Premier League corner chaos? 'I knew the risks, I'd do it again' - Moody opens up in new BBC documentary Reshuffled flights and players stuck - how sport is navigating Middle East crisis 'There were tears - but I had to peek behind curtain of head injuries in rugby' 'Ugly' or 'beautiful'? Set-pieces prove decisive for Arsenal again New era of Formula 1 - what is changing in 2026? Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week? Iran, the US, and a World Cup that starts in three months 'Hearts & Motherwell the winners after damaging Old Firm stalemate' 'Out of absolutely nothing' - Lamine Yamal's solo stunner. Video'Out of absolutely nothing' - Lamine Yamal's solo stunner Predict F1 drivers' and constructors' championships All you need to know about Netball Super League 2026 The 'rare combination' behind Britain's youngest F1 driver Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.