Wilkinson’s side were drawn in Group B1 alongside Czechia, Albania and Montenegro, following Tuesday’s draw in Switzerland.
The fixtures will begin in March 2026, with six matches to be played home and away by June.
“I think it’s an exciting draw,” said Wilkinson.
“We haven’t played a lot of these teams for a long time. I think for all of us this is what football’s about, adapting and facing new opposition, so I’m looking forward to it.
“The dream is to qualify, but we know that there’s a lot of hard work before that.”
Wilkinson is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge ahead.
As Wales are now in League B, there is no direct route to the finals in Brazil.
Only the four group winners in League A qualify automatically, meaning Wales will need to reach and then survive a complex play-off system — potentially involving three stages.
With Wales placed in Pot 1 for the draw, the group looks balanced but competitive.
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Czechia are one place higher in the FIFA World Rankings — 31st compared to Wales’ 32nd — while Albania (72nd) and Montenegro (85th) are lower-ranked but capable of posing challenges.
“I think this is where we’re at,” Wilkinson added.
“We’re a country that should be right at the top of League B and then challenging always to get back to League A.
“I think this is a group that is going to test us. We’re going to have some tough games here, which is also what we need.
“If it’s too easy, then you’re not ready for the play-offs. So, I look forward to being on the ball quite a bit more than we’ve been with League A opposition.
“But equally, we’ve got to be better defensively. We’ve got those three windows, and we don’t need to be looking any further ahead than that.”
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Even so, the Canadian-born coach insists her side must set their sights high.
“I think we’ve got to believe that we’re in a decent position to go for the World Cup,” she said.
“I realistically think if we’re going to be bringing through our young players and giving them experience and opportunities, then the four-year cycle to the next EURO is when we’ll have the team.
“I really feel like we’ve had a taste (of a major tournament) and I would love to be able to continue to deliver that to this team and to this country.
“I think we showed with our fan base and with our country that we’re just ready to be at major tournaments.
“This is going to be a really tough challenge to qualify for the World Cup, but it’s never going to be easy.
“Part of our learning trajectory is how we handle pressure and stress, and that’s for the players, but equally for myself. We’ve done it once, now how do we do it again? That’s exciting to me.”
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Wales are currently in transition after the international retirements of Jess Fishlock, the nation’s record cap holder, and Kayleigh Barton following Euro 2025.
Wilkinson has spent recent months reshaping the squad and giving opportunities to younger players as part of a long-term plan towards the next European Championship in 2029.
“I just think we’ve got a new year ahead of us,” she said. “We’ve had our retirements and we’ve had our friendlies.
“So, I’ve been able to look at a few things. I feel very confident that we’ll go into that first window excited and ready to really compete.”
Wales have endured a difficult run since their historic qualification for Euro 2025, going 11 games without a win.
Their last victory came against the Republic of Ireland in December 2024. Yet, despite that form, Wilkinson remains optimistic that the foundations being laid will bring results.
Wales’ head coach says topping Group B1 remains the clear objective. “I don’t think we can shy away from that,” she said. “But it will be a tough job to get that done.”
The route to the finals will be a stern examination. If Wales finish first in their group, they would meet a team finishing second or third from another League B section in the first round of the play-offs.
A second-round victory could set up a meeting with League A opposition, with the lowest-ranked of the eventual European qualifiers then going into the inter-confederation play-offs for the last World Cup berths.
For Wilkinson, though, the message is clear — focus on the task in front of them.
“We’ve got to take care of the business in front of us,” she said. “We have a lot to do and then we’ll start looking at play-offs. That will be the next thing we look at.”
