TheWales national football team has represented Wales in internationalassociation football since 1876, making it the third oldest international football team. They played theirfirst official match on 25 March 1876,[1] four years afterEngland andScotland played thefirst ever international football match. They are governed by theFootball Association of Wales and compete as a member of theUnion of European Football Associations (UEFA), which predominantly encompasses the countries of Europe. As of October 2023[update], Wales have played 706 international matches since their debut, winning 225, drawing 156 and losing 325.[2] They have played over 100 fixtures against England and Scotland,[3] regularly competing against both in theBritish Home Championship between 1884 and 1984, winning the competition on twelve occasions. In global and continental competitions, Wales have qualified for twoFIFA World Cups in 1958 and 2022, reaching the quarter-finals in the former, and twoUEFA European Championships in 2016 and 2020 in their history, reaching the semi-finals in the former.[4]
Wales were the last side from theHome Nations without a player reaching100caps.[5]Gareth Bale is Wales most capped player with 111 caps.Chris Gunter became the first player to earn 100 Wales caps, reaching the tally on 27 March 2021 in a friendly againstMexico.[6] Players who reach 50 appearances for Wales are awarded a golden cap.[5] Bale also holds the record for the most goals scored for Wales having scored 41 goals, overtakingIan Rush's record in March 2018.[7]
Billy Meredith was the first Welsh player to reach 25 caps and went on to accumulate 48 caps in his career and score eleven goals,[8] both Welsh records at the time.[9] His appearance record stood for 42 years until it was beaten byIvor Allchurch in 1962,[10] who finished his career with 68 caps.[11] DefenderJoey Jones set a new record in the 1980s, amassing 72 caps,[12] before his record was overtaken byPeter Nicholas in 1991 by a single cap. On 23 May 1994,Neville Southall played in a 2–1 victory overEstonia to earn his 74th cap and overtake Nicholas,[13] eventually gaining 92 caps before retiring.[14] Gunter surpassed Southall's cap record on 20 November 2018 againstAlbania,[15] before he himself was overtaken when Bale made his 110th Wales appearance in their2022 FIFA World Cup Group B match against Iran on 25 November 2022.[16]
| Key | |
|---|---|
* | Stillactive for the national team[a] |
| GK | Goalkeeper |
| DF | Defender |
| MF | Midfielder |
| FW | Forward |
Caps and goals sourced from:[14][17][18][19]
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| # | Name | Position | National team career | Caps | Goals | Other roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gareth Bale | FW | 2006–2022 | 111 | 41 | |
| 2= | Chris Gunter | DF | 2007–2022 | 109 | 0 | |
| Wayne Hennessey | GK | 2007–2023 | 109 | 0 | ||
| 4 | Ben Davies* | DF | 2012–2025 | 100 | 3 | |
| 5 | Neville Southall | GK | 1982–1997 | 92 | 0 | |
| 6= | Aaron Ramsey* | MF | 2008–2024 | 86 | 21 | |
| Ashley Williams | DF | 2008–2019 | 86 | 2 | ||
| 8 | Gary Speed | MF | 1990–2004 | 85 | 7 | Manager[20] |
| 9 | Craig Bellamy | FW | 1998–2013 | 78 | 19 | Manager |
| 10= | Joe Allen | MF | 2009–2025 | 77 | 2 | |
| Joe Ledley | MF | 2006–2018 | 77 | 4 | ||
| 12 | Dean Saunders | FW | 1986–2001 | 75 | 22 | |
| 13= | Peter Nicholas | MF | 1979–1991 | 73 | 2 | |
| Ian Rush | FW | 1980–1996 | 73 | 28 | ||
| 15= | Mark Hughes | FW | 1984–1999 | 72 | 16 | Manager[20] |
| Joey Jones | DF | 1975–1986 | 72 | 1 | ||
| 17 | Ivor Allchurch | FW | 1950–1966 | 68 | 23 | |
| 18 | Harry Wilson* | MF | 2013–2025 | 67 | 17 | |
| 19 | Brian Flynn | MF | 1974–1984 | 66 | 7 | Manager[b] |
| 20 | Andy Melville | DF | 1989–2004 | 65 | 3 | |
| 21= | Ryan Giggs | MF | 1991–2007 | 64 | 12 | Manager[21] |
| Sam Vokes | FW | 2008–2019 | 64 | 11 | ||
| 23 | Connor Roberts* | DF | 2018–2025 | 63 | 3 | |
| 24 | David Phillips | MF | 1984–1996 | 62 | 2 | |
| 25 | Daniel James* | MF | 2018–2025 | 61 | 9 | |
| 26= | Ethan Ampadu* | MF | 2017–2025 | 59 | 0 | |
| Barry Horne | MF | 1987–1997 | 59 | 2 | ||
| Cliff Jones | MF | 1954–1969 | 59 | 16 | ||
| Kevin Ratcliffe | DF | 1980–1993 | 59 | 0 | ||
| Terry Yorath | MF | 1969–1981 | 59 | 2 | Manager[20] | |
| 31= | Simon Davies | MF | 2001–2010 | 58 | 6 | |
| Robert Earnshaw | FW | 2002–2012 | 58 | 16 | ||
| Leighton Phillips | DF | 1971–1981 | 58 | 0 | ||
| Joe Rodon* | DF | 2019–2025 | 58 | 2 | ||
| 35= | Leighton James | MF | 1971–1988 | 54 | 10 | |
| Mark Pembridge | MF | 1991–2003 | 54 | 6 | ||
| 37= | Chris Mepham* | DF | 2018–2025 | 53 | 0 | |
| Neco Williams* | DF | 2020–2025 | 53 | 4 | ||
| 39= | Dai Davies | GK | 1975–1982 | 52 | 0 | |
| Kieffer Moore* | FW | 2019–2025 | 52 | 15 | ||
| Sam Ricketts | DF | 2005–2014 | 52 | 0 | ||
| Carl Robinson | MF | 1999–2009 | 52 | 1 | ||
| 43= | James Collins | DF | 2004–2016 | 51 | 3 | |
| John Hartson | FW | 1995–2005 | 51 | 14 | ||
| John Mahoney | MF | 1967–1983 | 51 | 1 | ||
| Mickey Thomas | MF | 1977–1986 | 51 | 4 | ||
| 47= | Paul Jones | GK | 1997–2006 | 50 | 0 | |
| Andy King | MF | 2009–2018 | 50 | 2 | ||
| Rod Thomas | MF | 1967–1977 | 50 | 0 | ||
| 50 | Danny Gabbidon | DF | 2002–2014 | 49 | 0 | |
| 51 | Billy Meredith | FW | 1895–1920 | 48 | 11 | |
| 52 | Robbie James | MF | 1979–1988 | 47 | 7 | |
| 53 | Hal Robson-Kanu | FW | 2010–2021 | 46 | 5 | |
| 54= | Mike England | DF | 1962–1975 | 44 | 4 | Manager[20] |
| Danny Ward* | GK | 2016–2024 | 44 | 0 | ||
| 56= | David Edwards | MF | 2007–2017 | 43 | 3 | |
| Neil Taylor | DF | 2010–2019 | 43 | 1 | ||
| Stuart Williams | DF | 1954–1965 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 59= | Brennan Johnson* | FW | 2020–2025 | 42 | 7 | |
| David Vaughan | MF | 2003–2016 | 42 | 1 | ||
| 61= | Mark Bowen | DF | 1986–1997 | 41 | 3 | |
| David Brooks* | FW | 2017–2025 | 41 | 6 | ||
| Jack Kelsey | GK | 1954–1962 | 41 | 0 | ||
| Rob Page | DF | 1999–2005 | 41 | 0 | Manager[20] | |
| Alf Sherwood | DF | 1947–1957 | 41 | 0 | ||
| 66= | Peter Rodrigues | DF | 1965–1974 | 40 | 0 | |
| John Toshack | FW | 1969–1980 | 40 | 13 | Manager[20] | |
| 68= | Mark Aizlewood | DF | 1986–1995 | 39 | 0 | |
| Clayton Blackmore | MF | 1985–1997 | 39 | 1 | ||
| Terry Hennessey | DF | 1962–1973 | 39 | 0 | ||
| Ronnie Rees | MF | 1965–1972 | 39 | 3 | ||
| Robbie Savage | MF | 1995–2004 | 39 | 2 | ||
| 73= | John Charles | FW | 1950–1965 | 38 | 15 | |
| Simon Church | FW | 2009–2016 | 38 | 3 | ||
| Trevor Ford | FW | 1947–1957 | 38 | 23 | ||
| 76= | Joe Morrell | MF | 2019–2023 | 37 | 0 | |
| Gary Sprake | GK | 1964–1975 | 37 | 0 | ||
| Kit Symons | DF | 1992–2004 | 37 | 2 | ||
| 79= | Mark Delaney | DF | 1999–2006 | 36 | 0 | |
| Carl Fletcher | MF | 2004–2009 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 81= | James Chester | DF | 2014–2018 | 35 | 0 | |
| Alan Curtis | MF | 1976–1987 | 35 | 6 | ||
| 83= | Wyn Davies | FW | 1964–1974 | 34 | 6 | |
| Mel Hopkins | DF | 1956–1963 | 34 | 0 | ||
| Jason Koumas | MF | 2001–2009 | 34 | 10 | ||
| Lewin Nyatanga | DF | 2006–2011 | 34 | 0 | ||
| 87= | Roy Paul | DF | 1949–1956 | 33 | 1 | |
| Jonny Williams | MF | 2013–2022 | 33 | 2 | ||
| 89= | Ron Burgess | MF | 1947–1954 | 32 | 1 | Manager[c] |
| Chris Coleman | DF | 1992–2002 | 32 | 4 | Manager[20] | |
| Fred Keenor | DF | 1920–1932 | 32 | 2 | ||
| Roy Vernon | FW | 1957–1968 | 32 | 8 | ||
| 93= | Mel Charles | DF | 1955–1963 | 31 | 6 | |
| Kenny Jackett | MF | 1983–1988 | 31 | 0 | ||
| 95= | Barrie Hole | MF | 1963–1971 | 30 | 0 | |
| Terry Medwin | FW | 1953–1963 | 30 | 6 | ||
| John Robinson | MF | 1995–2002 | 30 | 3 | ||
| 98= | Nathan Blake | FW | 1994–2003 | 29 | 4 | |
| Andrew Crofts | MF | 2005–2017 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Ron Davies | FW | 1964–1974 | 29 | 8 | ||
| Gil Reece | MF | 1965–1975 | 29 | 2 | ||
| 102 | Malcolm Page | DF | 1971–1979 | 28 | 0 | |
| 103= | Alan Durban | FW | 1966–1972 | 27 | 2 | |
| Billy Lewis | FW | 1885–1898 | 27 | 8 | ||
| Charlie Morris | DF | 1900–1911 | 27 | 0 | ||
| 106 | Graham Williams | DF | 1960–1968 | 26 | 1 | |
| 107= | Jordan James* | MF | 2023–2025 | 25 | 1 | |
| Paul Price | DF | 1980–1984 | 25 | 1 |