Wales face Denmark and Italy again on League A return

Wales will face Denmark, Italy and Iceland when they return to Nations League A next year. Rhian Wilkinson's side were beaten twice by both the Danes and the Italians when they were previously in the top division in 2025. The Welsh side also drew home and away with group winners Sweden, but finished bottom of the table and were relegated to the second-tier League B. Wales now return to League A after topping Group B1 as part of the qualification process for the 2027 Women's World Cup, having been unbeaten in a campaign against Czech Republic, Albania and Montenegro. Fixtures for the 2027 Nations League have yet to be confirmed by Uefa, but the competition will be played across the international windows in February/March, April and June. Why play-off win may not send Wales to World Cup Wales in fight to retain rising female stars Wilkinson's side will hope those Nations League games can form part of preparations for a first appearance at a World Cup finals. Having beaten Albania 4-0 on aggregate in a World Cup play-off semi-final last month, they face a final against Norway, with a home leg at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, 1 December before an away trip four days later. However, victory against a side managed by former Wales boss Gemma Grainger may not be enough to guarantee a place in Brazil next summer. The complex nature of the qualification process means that even if they upset Norway, Wales may have to negotiate inter-confederation play-offs next February to claim a place in the World Cup finals. What is the Nations League format? The Nations League will have a direct bearing on qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games, to be held in Los Angeles, USA, and the next Women's Euros in Germany in 2029. The winner of each League A group will progress to the Nations League finals in October and will secure a place at the expanded LA Games, while the bottom side in each group will be relegated to League B. Each third-placed side in League A will face a relegation/promotion play-off against a second-placed League B side.