Wales national football team

Last updated

Wales
Wales national football team logo.svg
Nickname(s) The Dragons (Welsh: Y Dreigiau)
Association Football Association of Wales (FAW)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Rob Page
Captain Aaron Ramsey
Most caps Gareth Bale (111)
Top scorerGareth Bale (41)
Home stadium Cardiff City Stadium
FIFA code WAL
Kit left arm wal22h.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body wal22h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm wal22h.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts wal22h.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes white.png
Kit socks long.svg
First colours
Kit left arm wal22a.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body wal22a.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm wal22a.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts wal22a.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks 3 stripes red.png
Kit socks long.svg
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current29 Decrease2.svg 1 (30 November 2023) [1]
Highest8 (October 2015)
Lowest117 (August 2011)
First international
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 4–0 Wales  Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg
(Glasgow, Scotland; 25 March 1876)
Biggest win
Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales 11–0 Ireland  Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg
(Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 9–0 Wales  Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg
(Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878)
World Cup
Appearances2 (first in 1958 )
Best resultQuarter-finals (1958)
European Championship
Appearances2 (first in 2016 )
Best resultThird place (2016)
China Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2018 )
Best resultRunners-up (2018)
Website www.faw.cymru/en/

The Wales men's national football team (Welsh : Tîm pêl-droed cenedlaethol Cymru) represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the governing body for football in Wales. They have been a member of FIFA since 1946 and a member of UEFA since 1954.

Contents

The team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup twice, in 1958 and 2022. In 1958, they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Brazil. They then went 58 years before reaching their second major tournament, when – following a rise of 109 places from an all-time low of 117th to a peak of 8th in the FIFA World Rankings between August 2011 and October 2015 [2] [3] – they qualified for UEFA Euro 2016, where they reached the semi-finals before again losing to the eventual champions, Portugal. A second successive UEFA European Championship followed when Wales reached the round of 16 of UEFA Euro 2020. They also progressed through UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying to the quarter-finals, though this was played on a two-legged, home-and-away basis and is not considered part of the finals tournament.

Wales have made their first appearance in the China Cup tournament; Wales played in the semi-final match against China, and the final match against Uruguay, where they were named as the tournament runners-up during the 2018 China Cup.

Historically, the Welsh team has featured a number of players from Wales' top club teams, Cardiff City and Swansea City. These two Welsh clubs play in the English league system alongside fellow Welsh clubs Newport County, Wrexham and Merthyr Town. However, most Welsh football clubs play in the Welsh football league system. Wales, as a country of the United Kingdom, is not a member of the International Olympic Committee and therefore the national team does not compete in the Olympic Games.

History

The early years

The Wales side of 1887-88 Wales national team 1887.jpg
The Wales side of 1887–88

Wales played its first competitive match on 25 March 1876 against Scotland in Glasgow, making it the third-oldest international football team in the world. Although the Scots won the first fixture 4–0, a return match was planned in Wales the following year, and so it was that the first international football match on Welsh soil took place at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, on 5 March 1877. Scotland took the spoils winning 2–0. Wales' first match against England came in 1879, a 2–1 defeat at the Kennington Oval, London, and in 1882, Wales faced Ireland for the first time, winning 7–1 in Wrexham.

The associations of the four Home Nations met at the International Football Conference in Manchester on 6 December 1882 to set down a set of worldwide rules. This meeting saw the establishment of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to approve changes to the rules, a task the four associations still perform to this day. The 1883–84 season saw the formation of the British Home Championship, a tournament which was played annually between England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales until 1983–84. [4] Wales were champions on 12 occasions, winning outright seven times whilst sharing the title five times.

The FAW became members of FIFA, world football's governing body, in 1910, but the relationship between FIFA and the British associations was fraught and the British nations withdrew from FIFA in 1928 in a dispute over payments to amateur players. As a result, Wales did not enter the first three FIFA World Cups. In 1932, Wales played host to the Republic of Ireland, the first time they played against a side from outside the four home nations. One year later, Wales played a match outside the United Kingdom for the first time when they travelled to Paris to play France national football team in a match drawn 1–1. After World War II, Wales, along with the other three home nations, rejoined FIFA in 1946 and took part in the qualifying rounds for the 1950 World Cup, the 1949–50 Home Championships being designated as a qualifying group. The top two teams were to qualify for the finals in Brazil, but Wales finished bottom of the group.

1958 World Cup

John Charles on international duty for Wales, against Scotland, 1954 John Charles, Wales versus Scotland, Ninian Park, 1954.jpg
John Charles on international duty for Wales, against Scotland, 1954

The 1950s were a golden age for Welsh football with stars such as Ivor Allchurch, Cliff Jones, Alf Sherwood, Jack Kelsey, Trevor Ford, Ronnie Burgess, Terry Medwin and John Charles.

Wales made their first World Cup finals tournament appearance in the 1958 edition in Sweden. However, their path to qualification was unusual. Having finished second to Czechoslovakia in qualifying Group 4, the golden generation of Welsh football managed by Jimmy Murphy seemed to have missed out on qualification, but the politics of the Middle East subsequently intervened. In the Asian/African qualifying zone, Egypt and Sudan had refused to play against Israel following the Suez crisis, while Indonesia had insisted on meeting Israel on neutral ground. As a result, FIFA proclaimed Israel winners of their group. However, FIFA did not want a team to qualify for the World Cup finals without actually playing a match, and so lots were drawn of all the second-placed teams in UEFA. Belgium were drawn out first but refused to participate, and so then Wales was drawn out and awarded a two-legged play-off match against Israel with a place in Sweden for the winners. [5] Having defeated Israel 2–0 at the Ramat Gan Stadium and 2–0 at Ninian Park, Cardiff, Wales went through to a World Cup finals tournament for the first time.

The strong Welsh squad made their mark in Sweden, drawing all the matches in their group against Hungary, Mexico and Sweden before defeating Hungary in a play-off match to reach the quarter-finals against Brazil. However, Wales' chances of victory against Brazil were hampered by an injury to John Charles that ruled him out of the match. Wales lost 1–0 with 17-year-old Pelé scoring his first international goal. The goal made Pelé the youngest World Cup goal scorer and Brazil went on to win the tournament.

Wales' remarkable campaign in Sweden was the subject of the best-selling book When Pele Broke Our Hearts: Wales and the 1958 World Cup (by Mario Risoli, St David's Press) which was published on the 40th anniversary of the World Cup and was also the inspiration for a Bafta Cymru-nominated documentary.

1970s

Wales failed to qualify for the first four finals tournaments of the UEFA European Championship from its inception in 1960. They also did not replicate their success in qualifying for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, although they did achieve a highly creditable draw against then world champions England in the 1970 British Home Championship, weeks before England went to defend their title in Mexico 1970 FIFA World Cup. This helped to give Wales a share of the Home Championship trophy for the year, goal difference not at that stage being used to determine an outright winner. In 1976, the team – managed by Mike Smith – reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship, having finished top of qualifying Group 2 ahead of Hungary, Austria and Luxembourg, but this was not considered part of the finals. Prior to 1980, only four countries qualified for the finals tournament, and Wales were drawn to play against the winners of Group 3 – Yugoslavia – in a two-legged, home-and-away tie. Wales lost the first leg 2–0 in Zagreb and were eliminated from the competition following a 1–1 draw in a bad-tempered return leg at Cardiff's Ninian Park, which was marred by crowd trouble. This initially led to Wales being banned from the 1980 tournament, but this was reduced on appeal to a four-year ban on qualifying matches being played within 100 miles of Cardiff. Yugoslavia went on to finish fourth in the 1976 tournament.

The following year, Wales defeated England on English soil for the first time in 42 years and secured their only victory to date at Wembley Stadium thanks to a Leighton James penalty. Wales went onto finish second in the 1977 British Home Championship. A few weeks earlier, Wales achieved another noted victory against then European Champions Czechoslovakia with Nick Deacy and James again scoring. [6] This victory in a qualifier strengthened Wales' bid to qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup, but six months later, that attempt ended in controversial circumstances. The decisive fixture against Scotland - nominally a home fixture for Wales, although relocated to Anfield amidst security concerns - was swung by a contentious penalty awarded to Scotland, replays suggesting the handball offence may have actually been perpetrated by Scottish striker Joe Jordan. [7] Another notable achievement for Wales however came in the 1980 British Home Championship, as Wales comprehensively defeated England at the Racecourse Ground. Goals from Mickey Thomas, Ian Walsh, Leighton James and an own goal by Phil Thompson saw Wales defeat England 4–1 just four days after England had defeated the then-world champions, Argentina.

1980s

In the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the Wales team – managed by Mike England – came extremely close to qualification; a 3–0 defeat against the Soviet Union in their final match meant they missed out on goal difference, but the real damage had been done by their failure to beat Iceland in their last home match, the match eventually finishing 2–2 after several hold-ups due to floodlight failures.

Wales also only narrowly missed out on qualification for the 1984 UEFA European Championship. They were minutes away from qualification when a winning goal by Ljubomir Radanović for Yugoslavia in the final game of qualifying group 4 against Bulgaria eliminated Wales.

Mark Hughes marked his debut for Wales by scoring the only goal of the match as England were defeated once again in 1984. The following season, Hughes was again on target, scoring a wonder goal as Wales thrashed Spain 3–0 at the Racecourse during qualification for the 1986 World Cup. However, despite defeating Scotland 1–0 at Hampden Park, it was again Iceland that wrecked Welsh hopes by defeating Wales 1–0 in Reykjavík, and for the second World Cup in a row, Wales missed out on goal difference. Wales had to win their last match at home to Scotland to be guaranteed at least a play-off, but were held to a 1–1 draw in a match marred by the death of Scotland manager Jock Stein, who collapsed from a heart attack at the end of the match.

Wales also started strongly in their bid to qualify for the 1988 UEFA European Championship, and were undefeated after four games. But away defeats against Denmark and Czechoslovakia in the last two games in qualifying group 6 saw Mike England's eight-year reign as Welsh coach end in another disappointment.

1990s

Under coach Terry Yorath, Wales achieved a remarkable result on 5 June 1991 when defeating then world champions Germany in a Euro 1992 qualifier, thanks to a goal from Ian Rush. Three months later, on 11 September 1991, Wales achieved a notable double by defeating Brazil for the only time in a friendly international, thanks to a goal from Dean Saunders. [8] At this point, Wales seemed well placed to progress from their qualifying group 5. However, victories for Germany in their three remaining matches in the group, including a 4–1 win in the return fixture against Wales, eliminated the Welsh.

Wales also made a strong showing in their qualifying group for the 1994 World Cup, achieving a noted victory at home to Belgium. Wales thus attained what was then their highest position in the FIFA World Rankings on 27 August 1993. Wales again came close to qualifying for a major championship only to fall short in the closing stages of their campaign. Needing to win the final match of the group at home to Romania on 17 November, Paul Bodin missed a penalty when the scores were level 1–1; the miss was immediately followed by Romania taking the lead and going on to win 2–1. [9] [10]

Following the failure to qualify, Yorath's contract as manager of the national side was not renewed by the FAW, and Real Sociedad manager John Toshack was appointed on a part-time basis. However, Toshack resigned after just one match (a 3–1 defeat to Norway) citing problems with the FAW as his reason for leaving, although he was sure to have been shocked at being booed off the pitch at Ninian Park by the Welsh fans still reeling from the dismissal of Yorath. [11] Mike Smith took the manager role for the second time at the start of the Euro 1996 qualifiers, but Wales slipped to embarrassing defeats against Moldova and Georgia before Bobby Gould was appointed in June 1995.

Gould's time in charge of Wales is seen as a dark period by Welsh football fans. His questionable tactics and public fallings-out with players Nathan Blake, [12] Robbie Savage [13] and Mark Hughes,[ citation needed ] coupled with embarrassing defeats to club side Leyton Orient and a 7–1 thrashing by the Netherlands in 1996 did not make him a popular figure within Wales. Gould finally resigned following a 4–0 defeat to Italy in 1999, and the FAW turned to two legends of the national team, Neville Southall and Mark Hughes, to take temporary charge of the match against Denmark four days later, with Hughes later being appointed on a permanent basis.

2000s

Under Mark Hughes, Wales came close to qualifying for a place at Euro 2004 in Portugal, being narrowly defeated by Russia in the play-offs. However, the defeat was not without its controversy, as Russian midfielder Yegor Titov tested positive for the use of a banned substance after the first qualifying leg, [14] a scoreless draw in Moscow. Notwithstanding, FIFA opted not to take action against the Football Union of Russia other than instructing them not to field Titov again, and the Russian team went on to defeat Wales 1–0 in Cardiff to qualify for the final tournament.[ citation needed ]

Following a disappointing start to the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign, Hughes left his role with the national team to take over as manager of Premier League outfit Blackburn Rovers. [15] [16] John Toshack was appointed manager for the second time in November 2004. [17] In Euro 2008 qualifying, Wales finished 5th in Group D. [18] In 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 4, two 2–0 home defeats by Finland and Germany in spring 2009 effectively ended Wales' hopes of qualification.

Wales were drawn in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group G. After a defeat at Montenegro in their opening match, on 9 September 2010, John Toshack stood down as manager after being disappointed at previous results in 2010 against Croatia and the opening Euro 2012 qualifier. [19] Wales under-21 coach Brian Flynn took over from Toshack as caretaker manager. [20]

2010s

The Wales team on 11 October 2011 ahead of their UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Bulgaria in Sofia Wales national football team.jpg
The Wales team on 11 October 2011 ahead of their UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Bulgaria in Sofia

Gary Speed was appointed as permanent manager on 14 December 2010. [21] Speed appointed 20-year-old Aaron Ramsey captain, making him the youngest Wales captain. [22] In August 2011, Wales attained their lowest FIFA ranking of 117th. [23] After some promising performances, in October 2011, Wales had rapidly risen to 45th in the FIFA rankings.[ citation needed ] A 4–1 home win in a friendly match against Norway on 12 November 2011 proved to be Speed's last match in charge of Wales.[ citation needed ] The match was a culmination of Speed's efforts which led Wales to receive the unofficial award for biggest mover of 2011 in the FIFA rankings. [24] His tenure as manager ended in tragic circumstances two weeks later when he was found dead at his home on 27 November, having apparently committed suicide. [25] [26]

Due to London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, a Great Britain team would qualify as of right of being the host nation. However, the FAW stressed it was strongly against the proposal. [27] Despite this, Welsh players Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale expressed their interest in representing the Great Britain Olympic football team. [28] Bale controversially withdrew due to injury, [29] but Ramsey was joined by four other Welshmen in Stuart Pearce's 18-man squad: Swansea City's Joe Allen and Neil Taylor, while Manchester United's Ryan Giggs and Liverpool's Craig Bellamy were included as over-age players, with Giggs being made captain. [30]

Chris Coleman was appointed Wales team manager on 19 January 2012. [31] For 2014 World Cup qualification, Wales were drawn in Group A but finished 5th. [32] [33] Wales were placed in Group B for qualifying for Euro 2016. In July 2015, following four wins and two draws, Wales topped the group.

In July 2015, having attained their then highest FIFA ranking of tenth, [34] Wales were placed among the top seeds for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification draw. [35] In September 2015, England dropped to tenth in the FIFA rankings, making Wales – in ninth position – the highest-ranked British team for the first time in its history. [36] In October 2015, Wales attained their highest ever FIFA ranking of eighth. [37] On 10 October 2015, Wales lost 2–0 to Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, Wales' qualification for Euro 2016 was confirmed after Cyprus defeated Israel that same evening. [38]

Euro 2016

After reaching the Euro 2016 semi-final, the Wales National Football Team return to Wales for an open-top bus parade through Cardiff city centre. Tim Pel-droed Cymru Bws Agored Caerdydd.jpg
After reaching the Euro 2016 semi-final, the Wales National Football Team return to Wales for an open-top bus parade through Cardiff city centre.

Wales qualified for Euro 2016 in France, their first European Championship tournament, and were drawn into Group B with Slovakia, Russia and England. On their Euro debut, on 11 June against Slovakia at the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Gareth Bale scored direct from a free-kick to give Wales a 1–0 lead, and Hal Robson-Kanu scored the winner in a 2–1 victory. [39] In their second match, against England in Lens, Wales led 1–0 at half-time through another Bale free-kick, but lost 2–1. [40] Against Russia at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse, Aaron Ramsey, Neil Taylor and Bale scored in a 3–0 win that made them win the group. [41]

In their round of 16 match at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Wales played Northern Ireland and won 1–0 after an own goal from Gareth McAuley. [42] In the quarter-final against Belgium, Wales went behind to a long-range effort from Radja Nainggolan, but captain Ashley Williams headed an equaliser before Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes confirmed a 3–1 victory for Wales. This victory advanced Wales to their first major tournament semi-final and also made them the first British nation to advance to the semi-finals of a major tournament since 1996. [43]

Wales lost 2–0 in the semi-final against Portugal with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani early in the second half. [44] Wales were welcomed back home on 8 July with an open-top bus parade around Cardiff, starting at Cardiff Castle and going past the Millennium Stadium before finishing at the Cardiff City Stadium. [45]

2018 World Cup qualification and China Cup

Wales finished third in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group, therefore failing to qualify for the final tournament. [46] [47] Chris Coleman resigned as Wales manager on 17 November 2017 to join Sunderland. [48]

Wales were invited to participate in the 2018 China Cup alongside China, Czech Republic and Uruguay. [49] Wales beat China 6–0 in the semi-final but lost 1–0 in the final to Uruguay. [50] [51]

2020s

Euro 2020 and Nations League

On 15 January 2018, Ryan Giggs was confirmed as new manager. [52] Despite losing two of the first three qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2020, [53] Wales went unbeaten in the second half of 2019 and ultimately qualified in second place following a 2–0 win over Hungary in their final match on 19 November. [54] [55]

Euro 2020 was delayed until 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, which meant Wales' next games came in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League. [56] [54] They kept five consecutive clean sheets on the way to an unbeaten record in the competition, winning five games and drawing one, despite Giggs not being available for the last two games due to legal troubles. [57] [58] With Rob Page in interim charge, the team beat Finland 3–1 in their final match to finish top of the group and gain promotion to League A for the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League. [59]

UEFA Euro 2020 was played in June and July 2021. Under Page as interim manager, Wales progressed from the group stage after finishing second in the group on goal difference. [60] In the last 16 round Wales lost to Denmark in Amsterdam. [61]

2022 World Cup, Nations League and Gareth Bale retirement

The team that defeated Ukraine on 5 June 2022 to qualify for the 2022 World Cup [62]

Rob Page remained in interim charge for the 2022 World Cup qualification campaign. Wales finished second in Group E and progressed to the qualification play-off stage. [63] After beating Austria in the play-off semi-final, Wales qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 with a 1–0 win over Ukraine. [64]

Following their promotion in the previous Nations League campaign, Wales were drawn in Group A4 of the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League along with Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland, with Rob Page still interim manager. [65]

Wales line up against United States at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 2022 FIFA World Cup United States 1-1 Wales - (41).jpg
Wales line up against United States at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

On 20 June 2022, Ryan Giggs resigned as Wales manager due to his upcoming court case. [66] Page stayed on as interim manager before being given a four-year contract extension in September 2022, managing Wales at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. [67] After a 1–1 draw with the United States in the opening match, Wales lost their second match to Iran after conceding two injury time goals. [68] [69] In their final match, Wales were eliminated after losing 3–0 to England, therefore, finishing bottom of the group. Wales was eliminated from the group stage for the first time ever. [70]

On 9 January 2023, Wales captain Gareth Bale retired from club and international football. At the time of his retirement he was the record goal scorer and record appearance holder for the Welsh team. [71]

Euro 2024

Wales began to compete for a place in the UEFA Euro 2024 after a poor show in Qatar, and were drawn in Group D against Armenia, Turkey, Latvia and Croatia. Wales kickstarted their qualification run in March with an emphatic 1–1 away draw to Croatia, which had just finished third in the World Cup in Qatar, thanked to a late equaliser from Nathan Broadhead, before gaining a hard-fought 1–0 win over Latvia at home, leaving impression that Wales is now serious for the qualification and will compete for a place in Euro 2024 directly. [72] [73] However, Wales suffered two shocking setbacks on June, losing 4–2 at home to Armenia before crumbled 2–0 away to Turkey, both games saw Wales reduced to ten. [74] [75] Wales regained hopes on September and October with a 2–0 away win over Latvia and, most notably, a heroic 2–1 victory over Croatia at home soil to put Wales back on the race. [76] [77] However, Wales ended up squander this golden opportunity in one of two penultimate matches on November, suffered a shock 1–1 away draw to Armenia that effectively blew away Wales' direct qualification; another 1–1 draw, this time at home to Turkey, combined with Croatia's two consecutive wins over Latvia and Armenia, meant that Wales failed to qualify for Euro 2024 directly. [78] [79] As for the result and combined with Nations League record, Wales has to look forward the play-offs against Finland; who win this fixture will play host against either Poland or Estonia in the decisive play-off match.

Team image

Media coverage

Live television broadcast rights are held by S4C (Welsh language commentary) and Sky Sports (English language commentary) until 2022.

The primary kit has long been all-red. The crest of the Football Association of Wales features a rampant Welsh Dragon on a white shield. From 1920, the shield was surrounded by a red border, and the letters 'FAW' were added in 1926. The badge was redesigned in 1951, adding a green border with 11 daffodils, as well as the Welsh-language motto Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae ("The best play is team play"). The motto was briefly removed in 1984, but the badge stayed largely the same until 2010, when the shield was changed to feature rounded sides and the motto banner was changed from white to red and green. The dragon also changed from rampant to rampant regardant. The motto was removed again in 2019, following another major redesign of the badge, which saw the top of the shield flattened and the sides changed not to curve outwards; the green border was also thinned and the daffodils removed. [80]

Kit supplier

Kit providerPeriod
Admiral 1976–1980
Adidas 1980–1987
Hummel 1987–1990
Umbro 1990–1996
Lotto 1996–2000
Kappa 2000–2008
Champion 2008–2010
Umbro 2010–2013
Adidas 2013–

Name

The team is sometimes known and branded mononymously as "Cymru", the Welsh language name for Wales, by the Football Association of Wales (FAW; or in Welsh : Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru; CBC), as the FAW uses the term in its internal and external communications. In October 2022, the FAW announced it was considering rebranding the team to only use the Welsh name for the country, ditching the term "Wales", following the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The association said it was in discussions with UEFA over how to change the name, and were inspired by Turkey's rebrand to Türkiye and not being the last country alphabetically in some football events. [81] [82] [83] The suggestion was stated by University of Limerick professor Owen Worth, to be an example of the connection between the team's supporters' clubs and pro-Welsh independence groups such as YesCymru and AUOB Cymru. [84]

Home stadium

The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Principality Stadium May 3, 2016.jpg
The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

From 2000 to 2009, Wales played most of their home matches at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. The stadium was built in 1999 on the site of the old National Stadium, known as Cardiff Arms Park, as the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) had been chosen to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Prior to 1989, Wales played their home games at the grounds of Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham, but then came to an agreement with the WRU to use Cardiff Arms Park and, subsequently, the Millennium Stadium.

Wales' first football match at the Millennium Stadium was against Finland on 29 March 2000. The Finns won the match 2–1, with Jari Litmanen becoming the first player to score a goal at the stadium. Ryan Giggs scored Wales' goal in the match, becoming the first Welshman to score at the stadium.

Cropped image of Cardiff City Stadium.jpg
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
Cropped image of the Liberty Stadium - geograph.org.uk - 32243 (cropped).jpg
Liberty Stadium, Swansea

With the opening of the Cardiff City Stadium in 2009, the FAW chose to stage most home friendlies there, with other friendly matches played at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea (now known as the Swansea.com Stadium) and the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. Qualifying matches continued to be played at the 74,500-capacity Millennium Stadium until the end of 2009, which was typically only around 20–40% full amid poor team results. This led to calls from fans and players for international matches to be held at smaller stadiums. For the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, the FAW decided Wales would play all of their home matches at either the Cardiff City Stadium or the Liberty Stadium, with the exception of the home tie against England, which was played at the Millennium Stadium. The 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign saw four home matches at the Cardiff City Stadium and one at the Liberty Stadium. Cardiff City Stadium's capacity was increased to 33,000 in 2014 and all home matches for Euro 2016 qualifying were scheduled at the stadium and Wales subsequently qualified for the finals tournament in France. All five home qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup were held at the stadium as well as both of the team's home 2018–19 UEFA Nations League games. All home games in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign also took place there. A friendly against Spain was played at the Millennium Stadium on 11 October 2018, which was Wales' first match at the stadium in just over seven-and-a-half years, finishing in a 4–1 defeat. On 20 March 2019, Wales played a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago at the Racecourse Ground, their first match there since 2008.

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

2023

25 March 2023 (2023-03-25) Euro 2024 qualifying Group D Croatia  Flag of Croatia.svg1–1Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Split, Croatia
20:45  UTC+2 Kramarić Soccerball shade.svg28' Report Broadhead Soccerball shade.svg90+3'Stadium: Stadion Poljud
Attendance: 33,474
Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal)
28 March 2023 (2023-03-28) Euro 2024 qualifying Group D Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg1–0Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia Cardiff, Wales
19:45  UTC+1
Report Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 32,806
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili (Georgia)
16 June 2023 (2023-06-16) Euro 2024 qualifying Group D Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg2–4Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia Cardiff, Wales
19:45  UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 32,774
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
19 June 2023 (2023-06-19) Euro 2024 qualifying Group D Turkey  Flag of Turkey.svg2–0Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Samsun, Turkey
21:45  UTC+3
Report Stadium: Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium
Attendance: 28,766
Referee: Fabio Maresca (Italy)
7 September 2023 (2023-09-07) Friendly Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg0–0Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea Cardiff, Wales
19:45  UTC+1 Report Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium
Referee: Willie Collum (Scotland)
11 September 2023 (2023-09-11) Euro 2024 qualifying Group D Latvia  Flag of Latvia.svg0–2Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Riga, Latvia
20:45  UTC+2 Report
Stadium: Skonto Stadium
Attendance: 6,464
Referee: Michal Ocenáš (Slovakia)
11 October 2023 (2023-10-11) Friendly Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg4–0Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar Wrexham, Wales
19:45  UTC+1
BBC report
Sky report
Soccerway report
Stadium: Racecourse Ground
Attendance: 10,008
Referee: Philip Farrugia (Malta)
15 October 2023 (2023-10-15) Euro 2024 qualifying Group D Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg2–1Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia Cardiff, Wales
19:45  UTC+1 Wilson Soccerball shade.svg47', 60' Report Pašalić Soccerball shade.svg75'Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 31,240
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)
18 November 2023 (2023-11-18) Euro 2024 qualifying Group D Armenia  Flag of Armenia.svg1–1Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Yerevan, Armenia
18:00  UTC+4 Zelarayán Soccerball shade.svg5' BBC report
Sky report
UEFA Report
Tiknizyan Soccerball shade.svg45+2' (og)Stadium: Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium
Attendance: 14,271
Referee: Benoît Bastien (France)
21 November 2023 (2023-11-21) Euro 2024 qualifying Group D Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg1–1Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Cardiff, Wales
19:45  UTC±0 Report
Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 32,291
Referee: Matej Jug (Slovenia)

2024

21 March 2024 (2024-03-21) Euro 2024 qualifying play-off Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svgvFlag of Finland.svg  Finland Cardiff, Wales
19:45  UTC±0 Report Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium
26 March 2024 (2024-03-26) Euro 2024 qualifying play-off / Friendly Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svgvFlag of Estonia.svg  Estonia / Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Cardiff, Wales
19:45  UTC±0 Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium

Current coaching staff

PositionName
Manager Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Rob Page
Assistant manager Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Eric Ramsay
Coaches Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Alan Knill
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Chris Gunter
Head of performance Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Nick Davies
Goalkeeping coach Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Tony Roberts
Fitness coach Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dr. Adam Owen
Medical officer Flag of England.svg Dr. Jon Houghton
Performance psychologist Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dr. Ian Mitchell
Physiotherapists Flag of England.svg Sean Connelly
Flag of England.svg David Weeks
Masseurs Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg David Rowe
Flag of England.svg Chris Senior
Flag of England.svg Paul Harris
Sports scientist Flag of England.svg Ronan Kavanagh
Equipment officers Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg David Griffiths
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Kevin McCusker
Performance analysts Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Esther Wills
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg James Turner

Coaching history

Caretaker manager are listed in italics.

Prior to 1954 the Welsh team was chosen by a panel of selectors with the team captain fulfilling the role of coach.

Players

Current squad

Wales named the following squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Armenia and Turkey on 18 and 21 November 2023, respectively.

Caps and goals are correct as of 21 November 2023, after the match against Turkey.

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11 GK Wayne Hennessey (1987-01-24) 24 January 1987 (age 36)1090 Flag of England.svg Nottingham Forest
121 GK Danny Ward (1993-06-22) 22 June 1993 (age 30)380 Flag of England.svg Leicester City
211 GK Tom King (1995-03-09) 9 March 1995 (age 28)00 Flag of England.svg Wolverhampton Wanderers

42 DF Ben Davies (vice-captain) (1993-04-24) 24 April 1993 (age 30)842 Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspur
142 DF Connor Roberts (1995-09-23) 23 September 1995 (age 28)533 Flag of England.svg Burnley
62 DF Joe Rodon (1997-10-22) 22 October 1997 (age 26)420 Flag of England.svg Leeds United
32 DF Neco Williams (2001-04-13) 13 April 2001 (age 22)363 Flag of England.svg Nottingham Forest
22 DF Tom Lockyer (1994-12-03) 3 December 1994 (age 29)160 Flag of England.svg Luton Town
52 DF Ben Cabango (2000-05-30) 30 May 2000 (age 23)70 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City
192 DF Niall Huggins (2000-12-18) 18 December 2000 (age 22)00 Flag of England.svg Sunderland
112 DF Jay Dasilva (1998-04-22) 22 April 1998 (age 25)00 Flag of England.svg Coventry City

83 MF Harry Wilson (1997-03-22) 22 March 1997 (age 26)528 Flag of England.svg Fulham
153 MF Ethan Ampadu (2000-09-14) 14 September 2000 (age 23)490 Flag of England.svg Leeds United
163 MF Joe Morrell (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 26)370 Flag of England.svg Portsmouth
73 MF David Brooks (1997-07-08) 8 July 1997 (age 26)273 Flag of England.svg Bournemouth
173 MF Jordan James (2004-07-02) 2 July 2004 (age 19)80 Flag of England.svg Birmingham City
223 MF Josh Sheehan (1995-03-30) 30 March 1995 (age 28)50 Flag of England.svg Bolton Wanderers

204 FW Daniel James (1997-11-10) 10 November 1997 (age 26)496 Flag of England.svg Leeds United
134 FW Kieffer Moore (1992-08-08) 8 August 1992 (age 31)3912 Flag of England.svg Bournemouth
94 FW Brennan Johnson (2001-05-23) 23 May 2001 (age 22)242 Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspur
104 FW Tom Bradshaw (1992-07-27) 27 July 1992 (age 31)80 Flag of England.svg Millwall
234 FW Nathan Broadhead (1998-04-05) 5 April 1998 (age 25)92 Flag of England.svg Ipswich Town
184 FW Liam Cullen (1999-04-23) 23 April 1999 (age 24)10 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months.

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClubLatest call-up
GK Adam Davies INJ (1992-07-17) 17 July 1992 (age 31)40 Flag of England.svg Sheffield United v. Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar , 11 October 2023

DF Chris Mepham SUS (1997-11-05) 5 November 1997 (age 26)440 Flag of England.svg Bournemouth v. Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey , 21 November 2023
DF Regan Poole (1998-06-18) 18 June 1998 (age 25)10 Flag of England.svg Portsmouth v. Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia , 15 October 2023
DF Joe Low (2002-02-20) 20 February 2002 (age 21)10 Flag of England.svg Wycombe Wanderers v. Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia , 15 October 2023
DF Owen Beck (2002-08-09) 9 August 2002 (age 21)00 Flag of Scotland.svg Dundee v. Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar , 11 October 2023
DF Morgan Fox (1993-09-21) 21 September 1993 (age 30)00 Flag of England.svg Queens Park Rangers v. Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia , 11 September 2023

MF Dylan Levitt (2000-11-17) 17 November 2000 (age 23)130 Flag of Scotland.svg Hibernian v. Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia , 15 October 2023
MF Charlie Savage (2003-05-02) 2 May 2003 (age 20)10 Flag of England.svg Reading v. Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia , 15 October 2023
MF Wes Burns INJ (1994-11-23) 23 November 1994 (age 29)60 Flag of England.svg Ipswich Town v. Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia , 15 October 2023
MF Luke Harris (2005-04-03) 3 April 2005 (age 18)00 Flag of England.svg Fulham v. Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar , 11 October 2023
MF Aaron Ramsey (captain) (1990-12-26) 26 December 1990 (age 32)8421 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff City v. Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia , 11 September 2023
MF Oli Cooper (1999-12-14) 14 December 1999 (age 23)10 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Swansea City v. Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey , 19 June 2023
MF Sorba Thomas (1999-01-25) 25 January 1999 (age 24)80 Flag of England.svg Huddersfield Town v. Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia , 28 March 2023

FW Rabbi Matondo (2000-09-09) 9 September 2000 (age 23)110 Flag of Scotland.svg Rangers v. Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia , 11 September 2023
FW Mark Harris (1998-12-29) 29 December 1998 (age 24)50 Flag of England.svg Oxford United v. Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia , 28 March 2023

INJ Withdrew due to injury
WD Withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue
SUS Serving suspension
RET Retired from the national team
PRE Preliminary squad / standby

Individual records

As of 21 November 2023 [85]
Players in bold are still active with Wales.

Most appearances

Gareth Bale played a record 111 matches for Wales between 2006 and 2022, and is also their top goalscorer with 41 goals. 2022 FIFA World Cup United States 1-1 Wales - (32) (cropped).jpg
Gareth Bale played a record 111 matches for Wales between 2006 and 2022, and is also their top goalscorer with 41 goals.
RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer
1 Gareth Bale 111412006–2022
2 Chris Gunter 10902007–2022
Wayne Hennessey 10902007–present
4 Neville Southall 9201982–1997
5 Ashley Williams 8622008–2019
6 Gary Speed 8571990–2004
7 Ben Davies 8422012–present
Aaron Ramsey 84212008–present
9 Craig Bellamy 78191998–2013
10 Joe Ledley 7742005–2018

Most goals

RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer
1 Gareth Bale (list)411110.372006–2022
2 Ian Rush (list)28730.381980–1996
3 Trevor Ford 23380.611947–1957
Ivor Allchurch 23680.341951–1966
5 Dean Saunders 22750.291986–2001
6 Aaron Ramsey 21840.252008–present
7 Craig Bellamy 19780.241998–2013
8 Robert Earnshaw 16590.272002–2011
Cliff Jones 16590.271954–1970
Mark Hughes 16720.221984–1999

Notable former players

Welsh Sports Hall of Fame inductees

[86]

Welsh inductees to the English Football Hall of Fame

[87]

Welsh winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year

[88]

Welsh winners of the PFA Players' Player of the Year

[89]

Team records

Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales 11–0 Ireland  Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg
(Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888)

Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 9–0 Wales  Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg
(Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878)

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification recordQualification play-offs record
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGAPldWDLGFGAPldWDLGFGA
Flag of Uruguay.svg 1930 Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg 1934
Flag of France.svg 1938
Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg 1950 Did not qualify301216
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg 1954 301259
Flag of Sweden.svg 1958 Quarter-finals5th513*1446402105220040
Flag of Chile.svg 1962 Did not qualify201123
Flag of England.svg 1966 6303119
Flag of Mexico.svg 1970 4004310
Flag of Germany.svg 1974 411235
Flag of Argentina.svg 1978 410334
Flag of Spain.svg 1982 8422127
Flag of Mexico.svg 1986 631276
Flag of Italy.svg 1990 602448
Flag of the United States.svg 1994 105231912
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 1998 82152021
Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg Flag of Japan.svg 2002 101631012
Flag of Germany.svg 2006 102261015
Flag of South Africa.svg 2010 10406912
Flag of Brazil.svg 2014 10316920
Flag of Russia.svg 2018 10451136
Flag of Qatar.svg 2022 Group stage30th301216106311710220031
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Flag of Mexico.svg Flag of the United States.svg 2026 To be determinedTo be determined
Flag of Morocco.svg Flag of Portugal.svg Flag of Spain.svg 2030
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg 2034
TotalsQuarter-finals2/228143510130432958168180440071

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record Qualification recordQualification play-offs record
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGAPldWDLGFGAPldWDLGFGA
Flag of France.svg 1960 Did not enterDid not enter
Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg 1964 Did not qualify201124
Flag of Italy.svg 1968 6123612
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg 1972 621356
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg 1976 [lower-alpha 1] 85121572[a]01113
Flag of Italy.svg 1980 6303118
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 1984 623176
Flag of Germany.svg 1988 622275
Flag of Sweden.svg 1992 641186
Flag of England.svg 1996 10226919
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg 2000 8305716
Flag of Portugal.svg 2004 104241311201101
Flag of Austria.svg Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg 2008 124351819
Flag of Poland.svg Flag of Ukraine.svg 2012 8305610
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 2016 Semi-finals3rd640210610631114
Flag of Europe.svg 2020 Round of 1616th411*2368422106
Flag of Germany.svg 2024 To be determinedTo be determined
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Ireland.svg 2028
Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Turkey.svg 2032
TotalSemi-finals2/161051*41312112452344135139402214

Notes

  1. Wales progressed through UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying to the quarter-finals, though this was played on a two-legged, home-and-away basis and is not considered part of the finals tournament.

* Red border colour indicates tournament held on home soil.

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
SeasonDivisionGroupRoundPldWD*LGFGAP/RRank
2018–19 B 4 Group stage420265Equals-sign-blue.gif19th
2020–21 B 4 Group stage651*071Green Arrow Up Darker.svg17th
2022–23 A 4 Group stage601*5611Red Arrow Down.svg16th
2024–25 B to be determined
TotalGroup stage1672*7191716th

Honours

Major competitions

Minor honours

Regional

Summary

CompetitionGold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svgTotal
UEFA European Championship 0011
China Cup 0101
Total0112

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The New Saints F.C.</span> Association football club

The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club, also known as The New Saints or TNS, are a professional football club that currently play in the Cymru Premier. Despite being an English team, they are the most successful club in the Welsh league structure, with 15 league titles to their name. Since the 2001–02 season they have finished as champions or runners-up in every season apart from 2008–09, where they finished third in the league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotland national football team</span> Mens association football team

The Scotland men's national football team represents Scotland in men's international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. It competes in the three major professional tournaments: the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Nations League and the UEFA European Championship. Scotland, as a country of the United Kingdom, is not a member of the International Olympic Committee, and therefore the national team does not compete in the Olympic Games. The majority of Scotland's home matches are played at the national stadium, Hampden Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium Stadium</span> National stadium of Wales, located in central Cardiff

The Millennium Stadium, known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and has also held Wales national football team games. Initially built to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup, it has gone on to host many other large-scale events, such as the Tsunami Relief Cardiff concert, the Super Special Stage of Wales Rally Great Britain, the Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain and various concerts. It also hosted FA Cup, League Cup and Football League play-off finals while Wembley Stadium was being redeveloped between 2001 and 2006, as well as football matches during the 2012 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Toshack</span> Welsh footballer and manager (born 1949)

John Benjamin Toshack is a Welsh former professional football player and manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denmark women's national football team</span> Womens national association football team representing Denmark

The Denmark women's national football team represents Denmark and Greenland in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Danish Football Association (DBU) and competes as a member of UEFA in various international football tournaments such as the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Euro, the Summer Olympics, and the Algarve Cup.

Association football is one of the most popular sports in Wales, along with rugby union. Wales has produced club teams of varying fortunes since the early birth of football during the Victorian period, and in 1876 a Wales national football team played their first international match. Football has always had a close rivalry with the country's de facto national sport rugby union, and it is much discussed as to which is Wales' more popular game. The Football Association of Wales (FAW), was established in 1876 to oversee the Wales national team and govern the sport in Wales, later creating and running the Welsh football league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Page</span> Welsh football manager and former international player

Robert John Page is a Welsh football manager and former player, who is currently the manager of the Wales national team. In an 18-year career in the Premier League and the English Football League, he made 550 competitive appearances for six different clubs. He both captained a team and scored a goal in each of the top four divisions of English football. He also gained 41 caps for Wales in a ten-year international career, captaining the side once, before he retired from international football in September 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales women's national football team</span> Womens association football team representing Wales

The Wales national women's football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the governing body for football in Wales and the third-oldest national football association in the world, founded in 1876.

The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years. To date Wales haven't yet qualified for the finals tournament but in recent years have shown good form, losing in a playoff (5–4) to England in the 2009 qualifying campaign and finishing second in their group two years later, after leading their group until their last game Wales only needed a draw to qualify for the play-offs but lost 1–0 away to Italy.

Jon Cameron Toshack is a Welsh professional football coach and former player. Toshack recently served as assistant head coach at Premier League club Leeds United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russia national football team</span> Mens national association football team representing Russia

The Russia national football team represents the Russian Federation in men's international football. It is controlled by the Russian Football Union, the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home ground is the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow and their head coach is Valery Karpin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales national football team home stadium</span> Wales football home venues

The Wales national football team represents Wales in international association football. The team played their first match in March 1876 against Scotland before hosting their first home match the following year against the same opponent. The location selected for the fixture was the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, the world's oldest international football ground still in use. The ground hosted all of Wales's matches until 1890, when a game was played against Ireland in the English border town of Shrewsbury. Wales played matches in several parts of the country, including Bangor, Cardiff, and Swansea over the following two decades.

The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been contested every four years since 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales national football team manager</span>

The role of a Wales national football team manager was first established in 1876, when the Wales national football team was established, and the team was chosen by a panel of selectors. The team captain would at that point fulfil the role of match day coach. Since 1954 a manager has been appointed by the Football Association of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales national football team results (1980–1999)</span>

The Wales national football team represents Wales in international association football and is governed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW). Between 1980 and 1999 the side played 133 matches, the majority of which came against other European national teams. The British Home Championship, which had been held every year outside wartime since 1894, was disbanded in 1984. The decision to end the competition in its 100th year was blamed largely on low attendance figures, football hooliganism and England and Scotland's desire to play other opponents. Wales came within one match of winning the tournament in the 1980–81 season. They needed only to beat Northern Ireland, but the final game was never played after players refused to travel following an escalation of The Troubles in Ireland. Northern Ireland won the last tournament, held in the 1983–84 season, on goal difference as all four sides finished on equal points.

As founder members of UEFA, the governing body for all football in Europe, the Wales national football team has participated in all but one UEFA European Championship since it began as the European Nations' Cup in 1960. The tournament has been played every four years since then, with qualifying matches being played in the two years before each tournament.

Benjamin George Cabango is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Swansea City and the Wales national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dylan Levitt</span> Welsh footballer

Dylan James Christopher Levitt is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Hibernian and the Wales national team.

The Wales national football team is the third-oldest side in international association football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales bucket hat</span> Welsh football memorabilia

The Wales bucket hat is a colourful bucket hat worn by supporters particularly of the Wales national football team. The hat was originally red, yellow and green, designed by Spirit of '58. It initially gained wide popularity during Wales's participation in the UEFA Euro 2016 championships. Other designs of the bucket hat have subsequently become available. Giant versions of the bucket hats were placed in city centres around Wales during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

References

  1. https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men?dateId=id14212 FIFA. Men's Ranking. Men Ranking on 30 November 2023. Retrieved on 30 November 2023.
  2. Wathan, Chris (9 July 2015). "How Wales went from 117 to the top 10 in the Fifa World rankings". Wales Online. Media Wales. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  3. "Wales one behind Brazil in Fifa rankings; Northern Ireland 35th". BBC Sport. 1 October 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. "Foundation of Wales National Team". Archived from the original on 18 October 2006.
  5. "World Cup 1958 Qualifying". Rec.Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation. 2 September 2015. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  6. "Memorable Welsh football fixtures". BBC Sport. 11 August 2011. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  7. "Memorable Welsh football fixtures". BBC Sport. 11 August 2011. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  8. "BBC Sport archive: 1991 - Wales 1-0 Brazil". BBC Sport. September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2022.;Southall, Neville; Corbett, James (2012), The Binman Chronicles, deCoubertin Books, ISBN 978-0-9564313-8-7
  9. Bevan, Chris (17 November 2013). "Paul Bodin on when Wales were a spot-kick away from the World Cup". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  10. "When Romania broke Welsh hearts". BBC Sport. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  11. Hughes, Dewi (12 November 2004). "Time for Toshack to deliver". BBC Sport. BBC. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2004.
  12. "An Englishman over the border". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  13. "Wales reprieve for Savage". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 September 1998. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  14. "Wales consider Euro 2004 appeal". BBC Sport. BBC. 23 January 2004. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2004.
  15. Ian Walsh (12 November 2004). "Hughes leaves a void". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  16. "World Cup 2006 qualifying". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  17. "Wales plump for Toshack". The Guardian. 12 November 2004. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  18. "European Championship 2008". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  19. "John Toshack stands down as Wales boss". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  20. "Brian Flynn appointed caretaker manager of Wales". The Guardian. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  21. "Wales unveil ex-captain Gary Speed as new manager". BBC Sport. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  22. Stuart James (25 March 2011). "Aaron Ramsey makes his case as the quiet captain for Wales". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  23. Iolo Cheung (24 August 2021). "From 'worst team ever' to Euros semis, Wales' 10-year journey from lowest ebb". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  24. "Speed's Wales are FIFA's 2011 "Best Mover"". Reuters. 21 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  25. "The FAW regrets to announce the death of the national team manager Gary Speed". FAW. Football Association of Wales. 27 November 2011. Archived from the original on 30 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  26. Matthew Southcombe (15 November 2016). "BBC TV host reveals Gary Speed was 'cracking jokes' and talking about the future just hours before tragic suicide". Wales Online. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  27. "Wales oppose GB Olympic football". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 6 December 2005. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2005.
  28. "Ramsey wants Olympic role". Sky Sports. 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  29. Nabil Hassan. "BBC Sport – London 2012: Gareth Bale to miss Olympics with injury". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  30. "BBC Sport – London 2012: Tom Cleverley in Team GB football squad". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  31. "Chris Coleman – New national team manager". FAW website. Football Association of Wales. 19 January 2012. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  32. "BBC Sport – Fifa rankings: Wales rise 15 places to highest level of 22nd". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  33. "World Cup 2014 Qualifying". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  34. "BBC Sport – Mark Hughes hails 'huge' Wales top seeding boost for World Cup". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  35. "Wales set to be in top seeding group for 2018 World Cup draw". BBC Sport. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  36. "Euro 2016 qualifiers: Wales above England in Fifa rankings". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  37. "Wales one behind Brazil in Fifa rankings; Northern Ireland 35th". BBC Sport. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  38. "Bosnia 2 Wales 0". BBC Sport. 10 October 2015. Archived from the original on 13 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  39. Pritchard, Dafydd (11 June 2016). "Wales 2–1 Slovakia". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  40. McNulty, Phil (16 June 2016). "England 2–1 Wales". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  41. Pritchard, Dafydd (20 June 2016). "Russia 0 Wales 3". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  42. "Wales 1 Northern Ireland 0". BBC Sport. 25 June 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  43. Pritchard, Dafydd (1 July 2016). "Wales 3–1 Belgium". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  44. McNulty, Phil (6 July 2016). "Portugal 2–0 Wales". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  45. "Euro 2016: Wales players to get homecoming celebration". BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation). 7 July 2016. Archived from the original on 7 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  46. "World Cup 2018 Qualifying". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  47. Dafydd Pritchard (10 October 2017). "Wales fail to qualify for 2018 World Cup: What next for Chris Coleman's side?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  48. "Chris Coleman leaves Wales role for Sunderland job". BBC Sport. 17 November 2017. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  49. "Wales invited to participate in 2018 China Cup alongside Uruguay and Czech Republic". ITV. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  50. Pritchard, Dafydd (21 March 2018). "China PR 0–6 Wales". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  51. Dafydd Pritchard (26 March 2018). "China Cup final: Wales 0–1 Uruguay". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  52. "Ryan Giggs: Manchester United legend named Wales manager". BBC Sport. 15 January 2018. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  53. "European Championship 2021". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  54. 1 2 "International matches of Wales". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  55. "Wales 2–0 Hungary: Aaron Ramsey double sends Wales to Euros". BBC Sport. 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  56. "Euro 2020 postponed until next summer". BBC Sport. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  57. "UEFA Nations League 2020/21". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  58. "Ryan Giggs denies assault allegations after arrest". BBC News. 3 November 2020. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  59. Pritchard, Dafydd (18 November 2020). "Robert Page and Ryan Giggs proud of Wales' Nations League promotion". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  60. Dafydd Pritchard (20 June 2021). "Italy 1–0 Wales: Visitors through to last 16 despite defeat in Rome". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  61. "Wales Euro 2020". Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  62. "Wales 1-0 Ukraine". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  63. "Wales world Cup qualification playoffs". BBC Sport. 15 November 2021. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  64. "Wales qualify for World Cup 2022 with playoff win over Ukraine – live reaction!". The Guardian. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  65. "Nations League: England and Wales get tough group-stage draw". BBC Sport. 16 December 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  66. "Ryan Giggs: Ex-Manchester United winger resigns as Wales manager". BBC Sport. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  67. "Robert Page: Wales manager signs new contract before 2022 World Cup in Qatar". BBC Sport. 12 September 2022. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  68. Dafydd Pritchard (21 November 2022). "USA 1–1 Wales: Gareth Bale penalty salvages draw in World Cup opener". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  69. Dafydd Pritchard (25 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Wales 0–2 Iran". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  70. Phil McNulty (29 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Wales 0–3 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  71. "Bale retired". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  72. "Late Broadhead goal earns Wales draw in Croatia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  73. "Wales 1-0 Latvia: Kieffer Moore heads Rob Page's side to victory as Gareth Bale gets Cardiff farewell". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  74. "Wales 2-4 Armenia: Dragons suffer setback as Page's side give up lead in surprise home defeat". OneFootball (in French). 10 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  75. Williams, Glen (19 June 2023). "10-man Wales defeated in Turkey and take another big blow to Euro 2024 hopes". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  76. "Latvia 0-2 Wales: Aaron Ramsey and David Brooks keep Wales in hunt for Euro 2024 qualification". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  77. "Wales 2-1 Croatia - Harry Wilson nets inspired brace as hosts keep Euro 2024 qualifying hopes alive". Eurosport. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  78. Coleman, Tom (18 November 2023). "Dismal Armenia draw leaves Euro 2024 hopes hanging in the balance for Wales". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  79. "Wales 1-1 Turkey: Rob Page's side miss out on automatic Euro 2024 qualifying spot to Croatia". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  80. "A new identity for football in Wales". faw.cymru. Football Association of Wales. 7 August 2019. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  81. "Wales consider changing name of national teams after World Cup". The Independent. 31 October 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  82. "Wales considering name change to Cymru". ESPN.com. 31 October 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  83. "Wales looks to change football team name to Cymru amid 'Welsh language renaissance'". The National. 31 October 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  84. Worth, Owen (18 November 2022). "The Welsh soccer team and the growth of an 'indy-curious' Wales". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  85. Alpuin, Luis Fernando Passo (20 February 2009). "Wales – Record International Players". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
  86. "Welsh Sports Hall of Fame - Football" . Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  87. "National Football Museum Hall of Fame" . Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  88. "Football Writers' Footballer of the year" . Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  89. "PFA Awards Past Winners" . Retrieved 22 October 2023.

Bibliography