Scotland Women 'optimistic' ahead of World Cup play-off, insists Melissa Andreatta

Melissa Andreatta said her Scotland players are feeling “excitement and optimism about what’s ahead” as they prepare for their Women’s World Cup play-off semi-final double-header against Czechia next month.

The Scots are bidding to end an eight-year wait to play at a major tournament by qualifying for next summer’s finals in Brazil. The winners of the semi-final will face either Lithuania or Sweden in the final in December.

Speaking after naming her 26-player squad for the Czechia meetings, head coach Andreatta said: “We’re all very clear about what we want, but even in our meeting on Monday night with all staff and players, it was about the processes, the preparation and then the performance from those two things will give us the best opportunity of achieving what we want.

“It’s really locking in to the day-in, day-out actions, not just in camp, but between now and camp, saying what are you doing on the daily to make sure that you’re at the best level possible to give us the best chance of realising our childhood dreams for many of them and getting back to that major tournament for some of them who’ve already been there?

“So I think what we all see is opportunity. We’re not feeling pressure, we’re feeling excitement and optimism about what’s ahead.”

Freya Gregory, Sam Kerr, Maria McAneny and Martha Thomas are all back in a squad led by inspirational skipper Caroline Weir, who was recently named on the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or.

“It’s not just about those individual accolades, that’s certainly not her thing either,” said Andreatta. “What she does, not even with words, but through action, in training, and just with her move to Lyon, even, that’s all about making herself better.

“She wants to constantly look for environments and ways to make her best even better. So if you have a captain leading by example, actively acting in a way to do things to improve herself, then the rest of us have to follow.

“She sets the bar here, on the daily, through her actions and that’s what I love about her. She’s a doer, not just a talker.”