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Ten teams will be competing for four spots in the World Cup proper

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2025Nepal is set to host the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier, which will be held from January 12 to February 2 next year. The matches will be held at the Lower Mulpani Cricket Stadium and the Upper Mulpani Cricket Stadium in Mulpani, Kathmandu. The full schedule for the tournament will be announced later.Ten teams will be competing in the tournament for four places in the World Cup proper, which will be held in England and Wales in June-July. Only five teams have been confirmed as participants for the Qualifier so far.While Bangladesh and Ireland have already confirmed their places in the Qualifier, having participated in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Thailand and hosts Nepal have made it through the Asia qualifiers, and USA from the Americas one.The remaining five teams will be confirmed through the other regional qualifiers, with two teams each from Africa and Europe, and one from the East Asia-Pacific regions filling the slots.The T20 World Cup Qualifier will see the ten teams divided into two groups of five each. The best six teams then make it to the Super Six stage, before the final.The T20 World Cup in 2026 will have 12 teams participating for the first time in the history of the tournament, up from ten teams who had played in it in 2024. New Zealand are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final last year.

Sunderland are now keen on a January move for an “unreal” defender and could make a £12m approach for his services.

Black Cats looking to strengthen this winter

The Black Cats have fared very well upon their return to the Premier League, currently sitting just three points off the Champions League places, and 10 clear of the bottom three, but they are not out of the woods just yet.

With only 15 games played, Regis Le Bris will be well-aware there is still a long way to go, and some January additions could strengthen his side’s chances of preserving their Premier League status, or perhaps even making a surprise push for Europe.

Although the Mackems have had some tough matches in recent weeks, taking on Arsenal in November, before facing reigning champions Liverpool and title contenders Manchester City, they have looked a little more shaky defensively.

Nine of the 17 goals Sunderland have conceded in the Premier League this season have come in the last five matches, most recently suffering a 3-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium, and they are now keen on signing a new centre-back.

That is according to a report from Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), which states the Black Cats are still interested in signing Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi, after submitting a €28m (£24m) bid for his services during the summer.

Having maintained their interest, the 2024-25 Championship play-off final winners could make an approach at half the price during the upcoming transfer window, with a €14m (£12m) bid on the cards.

Lucumi is out of contract with the Italian club in 2027, and with Bologna struggling to tie him down to a new deal, the defender’s future is up in the air heading into the January transfer window.

"Unreal" Lucumi could be bargain signing at £12m

It would be a steal if Sunderland were able to sign the centre-back at the heavily discounted rate of just £12m, given just how impressive he has been in Italy, being lauded as “unreal” by journalist Ethan Todd courtesy of his performances across the three previous campaigns.

Sunderland now eyeing move to sign midfield ace who Chelsea wanted to sign

Regis Le Bris could hold one key advantage.

By
Tom Cunningham

5 days ago

Not only has the 27-year-old put in some solid performances in the Serie A, but he has also established himself at international level, picking up 34 caps for Colombia, most recently helping his side pick up a clean sheet in a 3-0 win against Australia.

The Bologna star is comfortable with the ball, while he is also strong at winning back possession, as showcased by his performance across some key statistics over the past year, when compared to other centre-backs.

Sunderland are already in a strong position to avoid the drop, but they would be boosting their survival chances even further if they were able to sign Lucumi next month.

What looked to be a routine double play quickly turned into a disaster for the Yankees on Thursday night.

With a runner on first and no outs in the top of the second, pitcher Luis Gil forced Red Sox center fielder Cedanne Rafaela into an easy grounder back to the mound. Gil fielded the ball and spun it to Jazz Chisholm—who proceeded to get the out at second before launching the ball over his target's head and into the camera booth on the first baseline.

Take a look:

Fox play-by-play announcer Joe Davis sounded so devastated by the throw:

"This one he makes the play on," he exclaimed, before quickly showing his disappointment. "To second for one, and … to the seats."

Rafaela was awarded second base on the overthrow, stole third, and then scored on throwing error by New York—this time from catcher Ben Rice.

The Yankees ultimately responded, and lead the Red Sox 2-1 heading into the fifth inning.

A long-time team-mate remembers growing up and playing with the offspin legend – who gave little indication he would be one

Abhinav Mukund20-Dec-2024I first met Ashwin when I was six and he nine, rocking up on his dad’s Hero Honda CD100. He was big for his age. We were under the tutelage of CS Umapathy, who was a disciplined man. When 6am practice started, for batters it would be all about one thing – judging length. Half-volley: drive. Good length: defence. Short: back foot. It was as monotonous as the wax-on-wax-off drill, but it was our morning routine every day.I didn’t pay much heed to Ash then. We were all just regular kids playing cricket because we loved it. The next time I saw him was at an Under-12 tournament in his school. He was injured and was, in fact, the scorer when I made my first-ever hundred in school cricket. It is a vivid memory because I celebrated once on 90-odd and then I heard applause about ten or so runs later. It was then I realised the scorer had messed up the numbers. My team-mates were relieved I’d completed my hundred and did not throw it away after the first celebration.Ashwin went to a school that was known to produce academically accomplished students. I thought at the time that he was done playing the sport because of his injury and was now focusing on his studies. Little did I know! Mostly I remember thinking, “Couldn’t he have scored properly?”Related

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We were in the same school in 2004-05. He was in Grade 11 and I in Grade 8. He was a much bigger boy then, who was just coming back from a serious injury. We opened the batting together. He was taller than most boys in that age group and was a very good player of short-pitched bowling, and the matting wickets helped his play. His cuts and pulls were so good. I thought to myself that maybe it was his dad’s fondness for Gundappa Viswanath showing up. Chennai dads have for long been united in their professed love for Vishy. “Play the cut like him!” Ashwin’s and my dad’s generation was no different. Still, I didn’t think Ashwin would go on to be a professional cricketer, because there was nothing extraordinary about his game.Back then he would hardly bowl due to his injury, just some part-time offspin, and we already had two good offspinners playing for our team.But we had a problem. St Bede’s, our school, was close to the beach, and it was extremely windy in the afternoon. The faster bowlers would struggle to control the swing in the first 15 overs and we would just leak extras because of it.So we came up with a temporary fix. Throw the ball to Ash, who would come in with his Harbhajan Singh bowling action, with six fielders on the off side – three behind square for the cut. Not a single ball would turn, but they would drift away at pace. It was impossible for schoolkids to get bat on, and if they did, they would find the cordon of three fielders near point. It was a great strategy for our school team: we found success with Ash at the top, and the other two offies would finish off the middle and death. But even so I thought, “How can an offie who doesn’t turn a single ball make it big?” There is a great bit in his book about this time.We graduated from school and met once again as opponents in league cricket. It was a young Alwarpet side he turned up for, led by D Vasu, another man who could bowl pace and spin. Ashwin got five in that game, but we were a rookie side. The ball was turning, though, and he had his own action by then. I started to take him a bit seriously as he was batting at No. 4 for this team and also churning out those five-fors.

I would be begging Ashwin to turn the temperature up and volume down, so I could sleep. “Please Ash, match ” Things would be quieter for a few minutes and then he would burst out laughing at a scene in the film, much to my annoyance

He was called up to the Ranji side towards the end of 2006 and led Tamil Nadu to a famous win over Baroda in a must-win game when we were fighting relegation. The TN team was going through a transition at that point, after several players went to the Indian Cricket League. They handed over captaincy to Ash for the MJ Gopalan Trophy game against Sri Lanka. He had just played four first-class games till then, and this match was one where five of us, myself included, were making our first-class debuts. We got hammered by a strong Sri Lankan side by an innings, but what stood out for me in that game was how Ashwin had matured into a thinking offspinner, one who wasn’t scared to innovate. Michael Vandort was an unusually tall opener – he would plant his front foot forward and block the good balls. For him, Ashwin placed me at an unconventional silly point/mid-off very close to the pitch, and Vandort ended up blocking one straight into my hands. It was the beginning of a fruitful partnership with Ashwin for me under the helmet.By 2008 we had become team-mates in club cricket, turning out for Vijay CC. The three years from 2008 through 2010 were some of the best we had as a club. Looking back, I was thankful I never had to face him anywhere other than in the nets – not then and not at other times in my career.We were room-mates as well, when playing for TN during that period. I remember once we were playing a semi-final in Nagpur against UP, and the night before the game, Ashwin pulled his diary out and had a long conversation with his mother about his plans for the next day. Once the clock struck eight, the TV went on, and he settled down to his favourite routine: watching the 8pm Tamil movie on TV. The AC would be on full blast, and between that and the loud noise of the TV, I would be begging Ashwin to turn the temperature up and volume down, so I could sleep. “Please Ash, match ” [There is a game tomorrow.] Things would be quieter for a few minutes and then he would burst out laughing at a scene in the film, much to my annoyance. He was always the good student who was over-prepared for a game and wanted to take it easy the day before the game by going through his movie routine.That actually got him in trouble quite a lot. He just wouldn’t show up for the optional practice sessions the day before the game. For a young cricketer, that kind of thing gets you questioned about your work ethic, and can be interpreted as slacking off. Ash wouldn’t budge despite all that. His only response would be: question me if I don’t perform in the game. This says so much about his stubbornness and will to perform. I don’t think any cricketer I have seen in the last decade was always on the “could be benched” list throughout his career like he was.Eventually when Ash became captain, he would turn up for optional practice sessions to help the other guys out but never for himself. And his brain was in overdrive throughout. You could never keep him quiet.During long bus rides when travelling for the Ranji Trophy, he was always a back bencher. He would put together a bunch of guys and play a ridiculous game called Mafia – a simple game of deduction, where he would be the moderator and watch the action unfold.I also remember during our early years in club cricket, sitting in the dressing room with him and he would bring a pen and a paper and we would do these mock auction picks and drafts for every IPL team, and plot how the sides would balance out.The boys in yellow: Ashwin, Srikkanth Anirudha, Mukund and Robin Uthappa (from left) in CSK yellow in 2012•Prashant Bhoot/SportzpicsThat restless intelligence means he never fails to surprise you every time you speak to him. For instance, I called him during the last IPL and he went on for 45 minutes about neural networks and AI and how it was making an impact in the shortest form of the game. He texted me just before the auction, sending me ESPNcricinfo’s Impact numbers list split for the two halves of the IPL season.His many interests have created multiple avatars. There is the cricketer who keeps his notes handy, the guy who runs a YouTube channel, the coach at his academy, and I am sure he keeps up to date on the latest movies while every now and then enjoying an old classic at 8pm. (I’m glad he didn’t take up cricket scoring, though!)About three months ago, Dinesh Karthik, Ashwin’s dad and I were chatting, watching the Test at Chepauk. India were 144 for 6 against Bangladesh when Ash walked in, and you could suddenly see some tension working its way across his face. DK and I said to his dad, “Uncle, this is your son’s day. If he hangs around, he is definitely going to score big.” And it wasn’t said lightly. Ash at Chepauk brings his A game, and he is at his best when batting on red-soil pitches, which suit his natural game of cut and pull. I thought to myself then of how the D Stand crowd of future generations might talk about the innings the way our dads used to talk about the great GRV’s 97 not out.I met him after that Test, in which he made his fastest Test hundred with his family watching from the stands. I ordered a cup of coffee and his wife ordered a coconut water for him. I teased him, saying, “Do you need the electrolytes, old man?” He just smirked before going back to asking his daughters about their day. They said the best part was how their dad looked up to them when he celebrated the hundred. You could tell that meant more to Ashwin than the century itself – that family time meant more to him than achievements on the field, which is why I know he has been thinking about retiring for months now, and it wasn’t a hasty decision. No journey to the top is easy but I know his life has been tougher than most, both physically and mentally. The many long days spent in hotel rooms alone with his thoughts will have influenced his decision to call time.I’ll say again that I never expected Ashwin to become what he is today. He wasn’t genetically gifted like an Usain Bolt or a Michael Phelps. He was just a middle-class boy who had the smarts to become a doctor or an accountant – or the engineer he eventually became. He had no business becoming an elite athlete and one of the best at that. It meant taking the road less travelled, using every inch of an advantage he could get, and trying to innovate and adapt all the time. I said this once on commentary: R Ashwin is like your latest smartphone; his software is always up to date.Speaking of phones, his ringtone for the longest time was a Tamil song that went “” Which loosely translates to: I am going ever upwards, the earth is under my feet. Quite apt now, looking back at his career. Ashwin is a flagbearer for millions of middle-class boys and girls in the country who aren’t hugely physically or technically gifted, telling them to make the most of what they have by working hard and smart; to follow their dreams and achieve greatness.We grew up idolising movie stars in Tamil Nadu and a common first-day ritual for any big movie there is a , borrowed from a religious ritual where a deity is bathed in milk. Only, in this case, it is a life-size cutout of the movie star that is bathed in milk. I am sure there is one waiting for Ash as he embarks now on a journey with CSK.

Manchester City capitalised on Chelsea's draw with Arsenal 24 hours earlier to go top of the Women's Super League after a closely contested 2-1 victory over Everton on Sunday. The visitors were made to work for all three points, but good finishing by Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw, coupled with some smart stops by Ayaka Yamashita in between the sticks, ensured City would leave Merseyside with the win.

City took the initiative early on and threatened to take the lead within moments of the game kicking off. Just two minutes in, the visitors should have gone ahead when a loose ball bounced kindly to Shaw six-yards out, but the Jamaican could only direct a low effort at Emily Ramsey in the Toffees’ net.

A Yamashita clearance would eventually lead to the opener 20 minutes in as the City attack found the key to unlocking the stubborn Everton defence. Making a run from midfield beyond Rion Ishikawa, Miedema was slipped in by the creative Iman Beney and curled low and beyond the onrushing Ramsey.

Despite City taking a 1-0 advantage, you could not write off Brian Sorensen’s side, and with five minutes to go until half-time, Rebecca Knaak misjudged a long ball over the top and was left deserted in the middle of the park. Toni Payne took advantage and carried the ball wide before whipping in a low cross to Kelly Gago who, with a spectacular back-heel, flicked the ball cleverly into the corner.

The half-time break allowed Andree Jeglertz to have a word with his players, and City began the second period with added impetus. Ten minutes after the interval, Leia Ouahabi’s efforts down the left were finally rewarded when Shaw met her cross to the back post and thundered a header past the helpless Ramsey.

Looking to put the game beyond doubt, Shaw’s class began to show and on the hour mark, the talismanic forward’s deft flick sent Miedema in behind, but the WSL’s record goal-scorer could only flash wide. The visitors were almost punished moments later when Ornella Vignola left Laura Blindkilde Brown and Gracie Prior for dead with a beautiful Cruyff-turn and smacked the upright with a vicious effort from distance.

The Everton pressure continued and Yamashita produced a stunning stop from Hikaru Kitagawa to prevent the hosts grabbing an equaliser.

GOAL rates City's players from Goodison Park…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Ayaka Yamashita (8/10):

  Read danger well and swept up passes sent through to Payne by Everton expertly. Made a number of top saves to resist the Toffees' pressure.

  Kerstin Casparij (8/10):

  The City captain worked tirelessly and was superb in attack and defence for the away side.

  Jade Rose (7/10):

  Was strong at the back and helped City maintain their lead in the closing stages. 

  Rebecca Knaak (5/10):

  Making her first appearance of the season, the German defender looked rusty and was caught out by Payne for Everton's goal.

  Leila Ouahabi (8/10):

  The left-back produced the winning assist for City when she chased down Fujino's pass.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10):

  Started well, but became overrun in the middle of the park when Everton grew into the game.

  Yui Hasegawa (7/10):

  As usual, Hasegawa was particularly tidy in midfield and helped City retain control late on.

  Vivianne Miedema (7/10):

  A constant threat with her intelligent runs into the box and took her goal well to give City the lead. Faded in the second-half.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Iman Beney (7/10):

  Provided a nice assist for Miedema's opener and was bright down the City right.

  Khadija Shaw (8/10):

  A menace for the Everton defenders and should have scored more than just the one. The striker's header proved to be the difference, but she will curse at least two chances that went begging.

  Aoba Fujino (7/10):

  The quietest of the City front-line, but never stopped running and almost set up Hemp for a late third.

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• Subs & Manager

  Gracie Prior (7/10):

  Came on for the struggling Knaak and helped steady a previously shaky City defence.

  Lauren Hemp (7/10):

  Came on for the final 30 minutes and almost secured all three points with a late curling effort.

  Sydney Lohmann (6/10):

  Replaced Miedema to offer a more defensive option in midfield.

  Grace Clinton (6/10):

  Came on to carry the ball up the pitch when City were under pressure.

  Andree Jeglertz (6/10):

  The three points are most important, but the City boss will not be best pleased with how his side almost surrendered their spot at the top.

تحدث تييري هنري، أسطورة آرسنال وبرشلونة السابق عن مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وخسر ريال مدريد أمام مانشستر سيتي بثنائية مقابل هدف في المباراة التي جمعتهما أمس الأربعاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وقال هنري، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “لا أعرف ما الذي يدور في ذهن الإدارة، أجد دائمًا أنه من السخيف أن يواجه مدرب مشاكل، لم يمضِ على وجود ألونسو في النادي سوى ستة أشهر، لا أعتقد أنه يجب إقالته الآن”.

اقرأ أيضًا | موقف ريال مدريد من إقالة ألونسو بعد الهزيمة أمام مانشستر سيتي

وأكمل: “هناك أندية مثل ريال مدريد وبرشلونة أو أي نادٍ آخر على هذا المستوى قد تشعر بالإحباط من النتائج وتبدأ بسماع شائعات عن احتمال حدوث تغييرات في الجهاز الفني، هذا أمر شائع، إذا كان لديك مدرب تثق به، فإن الشيء المنطقي الذي يجب فعله هو محاولة معرفة ما يمكن أن تفعله معه لتحسين الأداء”.

وأضاف: “تستمع إلى الرئيس، وتسمع أشياءً كثيرة، وتسمع أيضًا جاريث بيل يقول إنك تحتاج إلى المدرب ليدير الفريق أكثر من أن يدربه، أنا لا أتفق مع هذا لكن هكذا هو ريال مدريد وكل من يذهب إلى هناك يعرف ذلك، سنرى ما سيحدث”.

وأتم: “أشعر بالأسف تجاه تشابي ألونسو لأنني رأيت ما كان يفعله في باير ليفركوزن عندما كان هناك فريق وغرفة ملابس يستمعان إلى ما يريد فعله، الآن لست متأكدًا من أن لاعبي ريال مدريد يستمعون إليه”.

تلقى نادي الزمالك إخطارًا من رابطة الأندية المحترفة، بتحديد موعد مبارياته في بطولة كأس  الرابطة “كأس عاصمة مصر”، والمقرر إقامتها في الفترة المقبلة.

طالع.. خاص | لاعب الزمالك يخاطب فيفا لـ فسخ عقده

وتقام منافسات مسابقة كأس الرابطة بمشاركة 21 فريقًا من أندية الدوري المصري، على أن تقام خلال التوقف الدولي لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 في ديسمبر المقبل، بينما ينتهي دور المجموعات في يوم 17 يناير 2026.

ويتواجد الزمالك ضمن فرق المجموعة الثالثة والتي ضمت كلًا من المصري وحرس الحدود وزد والاتحاد السكندري وسموحة وكهرباء الإسماعيلية.

يُذكر أن سيراميكا كليوباترا هو حامل لقب البطولة، بعد فوزه في نهائي النسخة الماضية على البنك الأهلي بهدفين دون رد. مواعيد مباريات الزمالك في بطولة كأس الرابطة

كهرباء الإسماعيلية أمام الزمالك، وستقام الثلاثاء 9 ديسمبر، الساعة 8:00 على استاد المقاولون العرب.

الزمالك أمام حرس الحدود، وستقام السبت 20 ديسمبر، الساعة 8:00 على استاد المقاولون العرب.

الزمالك ضد سموحة، وستقام الخميس 25  ديسمبر، الساعة 8:00 على استاد المقاولون العرب.

الاتحاد ضد الزمالك، وستقام الخميس 1 يناير 2026، الساعة 5:00 على استاد الجيش ببرج العرب.

الزمالك أمام زد، وستقام الأحد 11 يناير 2026، الساعة 8:00، على استاد المقاولون العرب.

المصري ضد الزمالك، وستقام الخميس 15 يناير 2026، الساعة 8:00 على استاد الجيش ببرج العرب.

Manchester City are now closely monitoring AC Milan forward Rafael Leao, with Pep Guardiola personally a fan, and the Italian club’s asking price has been revealed.

Man City made a real statement by defeating reigning Premier League champions Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and Guardiola was left particularly impressed by Jeremy Doku’s performance, describing the winger as “outstanding.”

Doku completed a remarkable seven dribbles throughout the match, six more than any other player, in what was a top performance, but the 23-year-old was not the only City forward that caught the eye.

Indeed, Erling Haaland once again found the back of the net, with the Norwegian putting his first-half penalty miss behind him and bagging his 14th Premier League goal of the season, which puts the 25-year-old six clear of nearest-rival Igor Thiago in the goalscoring charts.

Guardiola is clearly blessed with a number of top-quality attacking options, but the manager remains keen on strengthening his forward line even further…

Man City closely monitoring Rafael Leao

According to a report from Caught Offside, Man City are now closely monitoring AC Milan forward Leao, who has a €150m (£131m) release clause included in his contract, although the Serie A club have set a more affordable asking price of €80m – €85m (£70m – £75m).

Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are also in the race for the Portugal international, with Mikel Arteta personally an admirer, but City could rival their Premier League title rivals for his signature, given that Guardiola is a fan.

Indeed, the Spaniard admires the 26-year-old’s versatility, given that he is capable of playing out wide, in attacking midfield or even at striker.

At the moment, Milan are hopeful they will be able to keep hold of their star forward, but a January exit could be on the cards if talks over a new deal do not progress.

There are signs the Portuguese forward could be capable of taking City’s attack to the next level, having been lauded as “world-class” by journalist Carlo Garganese, while also proving himself as a reliable goalscorer over a number of years at AC Milan.

The Milan star has amassed a whopping 75 goals and 63 assists in 268 games for the Serie A giants, scoring a brace in what was a fantastic display against Fiorentina earlier this season.

The former Lille man clearly has the ability to succeed at the Etihad Stadium, but Doku’s recent performances suggest the Belgian winger could now be entering his prime, with his all-round display against Liverpool particularly eye-catching.

Jeremy Doku’s statistics vs Liverpool

Number completed

Dribbles (successful)

8 (7)

Duels (won)

14 (11)

Key passes

3

Shots on target

3

As such, Leao would perhaps be a luxury signing, rather than a necessary addition to Guardiola’s squad.

Rafael Leao has been named as one of the best wingers in the world Related The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best wide man in world football right now?

Posts ByCharlie Smith Nov 28, 2025

Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson has explained why Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac and the rest of the club’s board are already planning for life in the Premier League. The Red Dragons have enjoyed a meteoric rise under Hollywood co-owners and continue to make no secret of the fact that their ultimate objective is to deliver top-flight football to the Racecourse Ground.

History makers: Record run of promotions for Wrexham

A historic run of three successive promotions, lifting them out of the National League and into the Championship, has the Welsh outfit needed to take just one more step up the ladder in order to reach the big time. Big money has been invested while chasing that dream.

The odd stumble has been endured this season – with the second tier presenting more problems than the third, fourth and fifth did – but Phil Parkinson’s side are aiming high and cannot be written out of the top-six picture just yet.

Play-off heartache has been endured in the past, but Wrexham are prepared to tread that path again if necessary. They have cleared every hurdle placed in front of them so far and remain confident that they can be competitive among the elite once a standing at that level is secured.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALUltimate target: Premier League now within reach

Ambitious projects on and off the pitch are being lined up, with Williamson telling of how Wrexham are preparing for a Premier League future: “I think during pre-season, before we had announced a lot of players, I made the comment that I want us to be competitive. I want us to be in and around a play-off spot, which if you're sitting 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, you can see how tight this league is and how many points make the difference between that.

“I felt if we were in that kind of position in the table, that if we gave ourselves a chance to make a run for a play-off spot and then ultimately if we were in the play-offs, with the momentum we have and the mentality that this group has and the mentality that our supporters have, I know we haven't done historically well in play-offs but I felt that this was one of those situations where I wouldn't put anything by us.

“The objective was to be competitive and to show that we could go toe-to-toe with any club in the Championship and so far this season, that's what you've seen. In fact, I'd argue that you could see us with several more points if you look at some of the matches where we've had leads that we've given it up for a draw or even starting from the very first one at Southampton where we gave up a goal in the 89th and the 95th minute to lose three points or even one point there.

“I think we could definitely be higher in the table than we are today but the important part is that we've shown that it doesn't matter which club we're playing against in this league, we can go to toe-to-toe with anyone and come out ahead of it.

“From my perspective now, how do we build on and off the pitch to prepare ourselves for when that time comes that we do arrive to the Premier League? It's ultimately our objective, I think everyone is clear of that by now.”

Ambitious plans: Wrexham ready for the top-flight

Williamson added on the Red Dragons facing every challenge head on: “It will be interesting to see where this ends up at the end of the season but for us, we need to be ready whether it's the end of this season, the season after that, or the season after that.

“We need to be prepared on and off the pitch for what it means to arrive to the Premier League because as much of a step up, with challenges both on and off the pitch, that it was going from League One to the Championship – and it is a massive step – it's an even larger, more significant step from the Championship to the Premier League in all those areas.

“It's just making sure that we are in the best position possible so that when we do arrive, just like we did when we were in League One when we arrived at the Championship, that we were in a place where we could build off the foundations and be prepared for it. It's the same thing we're trying to do for when we arrive in the Premier League.”

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GettyWrexham 2025-26: League standing, points total & next fixture

Wrexham have reached the third international break of the 2025-26 campaign sat 13th in the Championship table. They have picked up 21 points from 15 games, leaving them only four adrift of the play-offs in what is a congested division.

The odd question has been asked of Parkinson’s methods this term, despite all that has been achieved during his tenure, and he will be looking to silence more doubters when the Red Dragons return to action on November 22 with a trip to Ipswich.

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