Ward urges Wales to use Euros as World Cup fuel

Wales must use their historic major tournament debut at Euro 2025 as a springboard to scale new heights by qualifying for a first World Cup, says former striker Helen Ward.

Rhian Wilkinson's side were knocked out of the group stage following defeats by the Netherlands, France and eventual champions England.

Qualification itself was an enormous achievement, as Wilkinson and her players achieved their goal of "climbing the mountain" to get to the tournament in Switzerland.

Their next target is to qualify for a first World Cup, with qualifying for the 2027 edition beginning in February 2026.

As part of their preparations, Wales will host Australia and Poland in friendly matches later this month. Wilkinson will announce her squad for those games on Thursday.

"The summer was all about reaching the top of the mountain, but maybe we just reached base camp and actually the rest of the mountain's still there to climb," said Ward, who is second in the all-time list of Wales' top female or male scorers with 44 goals.

"I think that's the way that Rhian and the team need to look at it. Is the job only really half-done? Is the job ever done? You've always got to try and get better.

"And I think for the group of players knowing them as I do, they'd have had a great experience with the Euros, but they'll want more.

"They'll want to go to another tournament and start winning games, getting through the group stages, progressing and I've no doubt that they will get there again and very soon. They're certainly going to be focused on achieving much more."

Wales take on Australia at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, 25 October, before welcoming Poland to Rodney Parade in Newport the following Tuesday.

Those friendly fixtures will be their first since being thrashed 6-1 by England in their final group game at Euro 2025 in July.

"We know qualifying for tournaments is never going to be easy but, as the game progresses, there's more opportunities to qualify, more teams that are going to be involved in these competitions," Ward told BBC Sport Wales.

"We've been moved down into [Nations League] League B, but that served us so well for the Euros, so who's to say that's not going to happen again?

"Certainly the World Cup will be on a lot of the players' minds. That's the next big one, isn't it? The Euros is fantastic, a great occasion, but the World Cup is that little bit more special.

"For the majority of them, to experience the Euros and the World Cup would be enough ignition for the fire."

Some of Wales' leading players are nearing the end of their careers, with record cap holder and goalscorer Jess Fishlock now 38 years old and former captain Sophie Ingle recently turning 34.

Striker Kayleigh Barton has already announced her retirement, and Wilkinson suggested last month that other senior figures could follow suit.

"Age doesn't escape any of us, so I think there'll be some members of the squad who maybe think they've got one more campaign and then potentially there will be one or two who do call it a day now," said Ward.

"But I think the majority of that squad that was in the Euros will want to push on and get themselves to that World Cup.

"It's another carrot, another target, another central moment of history. I don't think there'll be too many [retirements], I hope there's not too many, and I think we'll be ready to go when qualifying starts again. They'll be right up for it."