Boasting five league championships, a pair of Champions League titles, and a wide array of domestic cup trophies, Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh has secured virtually every major honour available in the women’s game.
Her triumphant run stretches to international football as well, having helped England claim back-to-back European Championship victories in 2022 and 2025 at 29 years old.
Yet, a single major piece of silverware remains absent from her record: the World Cup.
Walsh reflects on her dream of winning the World Cup
Walsh featured across both fixtures in England’s 8-1 aggregate victory against Greece, earning them a spot in November’s two-legged World Cup play-off against Ukraine, where victory guarantees qualification for next summer’s tournament in Brazil.
This necessary play-off route follows Spain edging out the Lionesses for top spot in their qualification group via goal difference, highlighting the sheer difficulty of simply reaching the tournament.
“Our strategy remains identical to any other match,” Walsh shared with FourFourTwo when asked about their play-off fixture.
“Qualifying directly during the group phase is tough now because every group contains two or three elite squads, making the process extremely demanding.”
That challenge was highlighted when England were drawn alongside reigning world champions Spain—the nation that handed them a narrow 1-0 defeat in the 2023 World Cup final, denying Walsh the final prize needed to complete her collection.
Instead of looking backward, however, the ex-Barcelona playmaker remains fully concentrated on her nation’s upcoming encounter.
“Heading into this upcoming round, we treat it just like every other match,” she added.
“Our goal is to win and secure our place at the World Cup, and we understand precisely what is required to achieve that. We are fully aware of where we must grow both collectively and individually. I cannot wait to rejoin the team and get straight down to business.”
As for capturing that last missing trophy?
“Absolutely, 100%! That ambition drives me completely. I’m not getting any younger either, so I recognize this might be my final World Cup appearance. It makes this an incredibly significant year.”
