The play-off final first leg will be played at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, 1 December before the return leg in Norway four days later.

Norway, the 1995 world champions, have reached every Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.

They will begin as firm favourites against Wales, who are ranked 17 places below them by Fifa and who have never beaten a top-20 ranked side in a competitive fixture.

But Wilkinson insists Wales, whose only previous major championship appearance was at Euro 2025, can cause Norway problems.

“They’re a team that’s performing well, that’s doing well, as are we and we’ve got some fantastic players that can absolutely go toe-to-toe with them,” she added.

“I’ve just talked to the staff I think everyone needs a few days off to rest and recover.

“Then we’re going to go again, do the best we can to deliver a team that’s going to fight for their country.”

The complex nature of the qualifying process means that even if they were to upset Norway, Wales may not be guaranteed a place at next year’s World Cup.

While Poland, who defeated Belgium on penalties after a 3-3 draw over the two legs, are a dangerous side – largely thanks for Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor, they lost both games against the Irish during qualifying in April.

“For us, we’ve played both teams recently and it’s going to be different come November.

“We know there’s a World Cup place at stake so we need to be ready. It’s an exciting one.”

McCabe says her summer move to Chelsea, which came after her contract at Arsenal came to an end, has been a “breath of fresh air” and can only help her at club and country.

“The time had come for me to start a new chapter. Ever since I’ve come in to work with Sonia [Bompastor, Chelsea manager] and the girls it has been brilliant.

“I’m enjoying my football again and I’m just taking it game-by-game, but for me the most important thing is being in the best position to qualify for the World Cup.”

McCabe added that the Irish players know what it takes to reach the biggest tournament in the sport, after achieving the feat for the first time in Australia in 2023.

“We’ve had some highs and lows over the years. It’s going to be really important and we’ll stick together going into November.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to get over the line and get this country to the World Cup again.”

The fallout from the Los Angeles Rams’ defeat by the Buffalo Bills rumbled on as offensive lineman Alaric Jackson was suspended for punching an opponent while kicker Harrison Mevis has been released.

Jackson was handed a two-game ban by the NFL after he struck Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb following Monday’s 37-34 overtime loss.

Chubb was talking to players from both teams near midfield when Jackson approached him and punched him in the jaw.

“It’s just emotions, you know what I mean? Emotional game, it was a close game,” Chubb said.

Jackson is now set to miss the Rams’ next two games against the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders.

Meanwhile, the Rams have decided to cut Mevis and sign fellow kicker Blake Grupe from the New York Jets’ practice squad.

Mevis missed a field goal in regulation and had another attempt blocked in overtime against the Bills, which Rams head coach Sean McVay said “cost us the game”.

“The kicking game, especially with our PAT, field goal, not even close to good enough,” McVay said.

Mevis, 24, has made five of his past nine field goal attempts, including only one of his last four across the past two games.

Grupe, 27, has converted 81.9% of his field goals and 98% of his extra-point attempts in 50 NFL games with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts.