 | |||
| Nickname | The Dragons (Welsh:Y Dreigiau) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Association of Wales (FAW) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Rhian Wilkinson | ||
| Captain | Angharad James | ||
| Mostcaps | Jess Fishlock (164) | ||
| Top scorer | Jess Fishlock (48) | ||
| FIFA code | WAL | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 32 2 (7 August 2025)[1] | ||
| Highest | 29[2] (June–December 2018; August 2023; August 2024) | ||
| Lowest | 57[2] (June 2005; May 2006) | ||
| First international | |||
 Wales 2–3Republic of Ireland  (Llanelli, Wales; 13 May 1973) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Wales 15–0Azerbaijan  (Newtown, Powys, Wales; 21 August 2010) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Germany 12–0Wales (Bielefeld, Germany, 31 March 1994) Wales 0–12Germany (Swansea, Wales, 5 May 1994) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in2035) | ||
| European Championship | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in2025) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2025) | ||
| Website | www | ||
TheWales national women's football team (Welsh:Tîm pêl-droed merched cenedlaethol Cymru) representsWales in internationalfootball. It is controlled by theFootball Association of Wales (FAW), the governing body forfootball in Wales and the third-oldest national football association in the world, founded in 1876 (149 years ago) (1876).
Wales qualified for their first major championship,UEFA Women's Euro 2025, in December 2024.[3] They have never qualified for theFIFA Women's World Cup. The closest they have come was falling toSwitzerland in theUEFA play-offs final for the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[4] However, they are set to potentially take part in a World Cup for the first time in2035 when they automatically qualified as co-host with other three countries in the United Kingdom.
As a country of the United Kingdom, Wales is not a member of theInternational Olympic Committee and therefore the national team does not compete in theOlympic Games.
The Wales Women's National Team was established in 1973.[5] Their debut fixture was a match againstIreland atStebonheath Park inLlanelli. A crowd of 3,500 watched them lose 3 - 2.
For 20 years the team was organised independently of the FAW. In 1993, playersLaura McAllister,Michelle Adams andKaren Jones, succeeded in persuading the FAW secretaryAlun Evans that the FAW should take over the running of the women's national team.[6]
In 2003, the FAW withdrew the team from qualifying games forUEFA Women's Euro 2005 citing the cost of travelling to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Estonia and Israel[6] and cutbacks being needed to supportMark Hughes' men's team. The move was criticised by manager Sian Williams and playerJayne Ludlow and Wales were fined 50,000 Swss Francs by UEFA.
In 2010, Ludlow withdrew from the squad entirely[7] returning only in 2012 with the appointment ofJarmo Matikainen as the first ever full time manager of the women's side.
In 2018, Wales finished second in their World Cup qualifying group for the first time ever, missing out on a playoff spot due to second place team rankings. In 2020 they missed out on a playoff spot by away goals.
Under managerGemma Grainger, Wales reached the playoffs for qualification to2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. They beat Bosnia, but lost in extra time againstSwitzerland in Zurich. John Grey was temporarily placed in charge for one match in February 2024 beforeRhian Wilkinson took over the reins for theEuro 2025 qualifying which began in April 2024.
On 3 December 2024, the team made history after beating the Republic of Ireland 2-1 qualifying for a first time ever to major women's tournament.[8] Subsequently, Wales ended with three defeats at the group stage of the finals and were eliminated but not before showing that they were one of the best supported teams at their matches in Luzern and St. Gallen.
The European qualifying tournament for the2027 FIFA Women's World Cup to determine theUEFA teams that will qualify directly for the final tournament and for theinter-confederation play-offs will take place from February to December 2026.[9] The results from the first phase of qualification will also be used to determine the leagues for the2027 UEFA Women's Nations League.[9][10]
Wales were part of the league phase draw which took place at 13:00CET on 4 November 2025.[11]
Group winners, runners-up, and third-place teams will advance to theplay-off phase. All group winners will be promoted to2027 UEFA Women's Nations League A, and all fourth-place teams and the two lowest-ranked third-place teams will be relegated to2027 UEFA Women's Nations League C.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation | |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wales | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance toplay-offs andpromotion toLeague A | — | 9 Jun | 14 Apr | 7 Mar | |
| 2 | Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance toplay-offs | 3 Mar | — | 5 Jun | 14 Apr | |
| 3 | Albania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance toplay-offs andpossible relegation toLeague C | 18 Apr | 7 Mar | — | 9 Jun | |
| 4 | Montenegro | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegation toLeague C | 5 Jun | 18 Apr | 3 Mar | — |
Live television broadcast rights are held byBBC Cymru Wales (Welsh &English language commentary) until 2027.
The primary kit has long been all-red. The crest of theFootball Association of Wales features arampantWelsh 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 theWelsh-language mottoGorau 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.[12]
| Kit provider | Period |
|---|---|
| Umbro | 1996 |
| Lotto | 1996–2000 |
| Kappa | 2000–2008 |
| Champion | 2008–2010 |
| Umbro | 2010–2013 |
| Adidas | 2013– |
Win Draw Lose Fixture
v Republic of Ireland| 29 NovemberUEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs | Wales | 1–1 | Republic of Ireland | Cardiff |
| 19:15GMT |
| Report | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 16,845 Referee:Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi (Italy) |
v Wales| 3 DecemberUEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs | Republic of Ireland | 1–2 (2–3agg.) | Wales | Dublin |
| 19:30GMT |
| Report | Stadium:Aviva Stadium Attendance: 25,832 Referee:Marta Huerta De Aza (Spain) |
v Wales| 21 February2025 Nations League | Italy | 1–0 | Wales | Monza |
| 18:15CET |
| Report | Stadium:Stadio Brianteo Attendance: 4,219 Referee:Katalin Kulcsár (Hungary) |
v
Sweden| 25 February2025 Nations League | Wales | 1–1 | Sweden | Wrexham |
| 19:15GMT | Report |
| Stadium:Racecourse Ground Attendance: 6,077 Referee:Désirée Grundbacher (Switzerland) |
v
Denmark| 4 April2025 Nations League | Wales | 1–2 | Denmark | Cardiff |
| 19:15GMT |
| Report |
| Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 6,779 Referee:Michalina Diakow (Poland) |
v Wales| 8 April2025 Nations League | Sweden | 1–1 | Wales | Gothenburg |
| 19:00CEST |
| Report |
| Stadium:Gamla Ullevi Attendance: 8,759 Referee:Olatz Rivera Olmedo (Spain) |
v Wales| 30 May2025 Nations League | Denmark | 1–0 | Wales | Odense |
| 19:15CEST |
| Report | Stadium:Odense Stadion Attendance: 3,442 Referee:Catarina Campos (Portugal) |
v Italy| 3 June2025 Nations League | Wales | 1–4 | Italy | Swansea |
| 18:30BST |
| Report | Stadium:Liberty Stadium Attendance: 5,962 Referee:Eleni Antoniou (Greece) |
v
Netherlands| 5 JulyEuro 2025 group stage | Wales | 0–3 | Netherlands | Lucerne |
| 18:00CEST | Report | Stadium:Swissporarena Attendance: 14,147 Referee:Frida Klarlund (Denmark) |
v Wales| 9 JulyEuro 2025 group stage | France | 4–1 | Wales | St. Gallen |
| 21:00CEST | Report |
| Stadium:Kybunpark Attendance: 15,886 Referee:Désirée Grundbacher (Switzerland) |
v Wales| 13 JulyEuro 2025 group stage | England | 6–1 | Wales | St. Gallen |
| 21:00CEST | Report |
| Stadium:Kybunpark Attendance: 15,953 Referee:Frida Klarlund (Denmark) |
v
Australia| 25 OctoberFriendly | Wales | 1–2 | Australia | Cardiff |
| 14:00BST | Griffiths 55' | Source | Stadium:Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 11,173 Referee: Stacey Pearson (England) |
v
Poland| 28 OctoberFriendly | Wales | 2–5 | Poland | Newport |
| 19:45GMT | Source | Stadium:Rodney Parade Attendance: 2,566 Referee:Kirsty Dowle (England) |
v
South Korea| 28 NovemberFriendly | Wales | v | South Korea | Malaga |
| 19:00CET | Stadium:Ciudad Deportiva Fundación Málaga CF |
v
Switzerland| 2 DecemberFriendly | Wales | v | Switzerland | Jerez de la Frontera |
| 12:00CET | Stadium:Chapín |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Rhian Wilkinson |
| Assistant coach | Jon Grey |
| Goalkeeping coach | Jen Herst |
| Head of physical performance | Luke Taylor |
Sylvia Gore (1979–1989)[13]Lyn Jones (1992-1995)Sue Lopez (1995–1996)Roy Thomas (1996–2000)[14][15]Sian Williams (2000–2003)Andy Beattie (2003–2007)Adrian Tucker (2007–2010)[16]
Jarmo Matikainen (2010–2014)[17][18]Jayne Ludlow (2014–2021)[19][20]Gemma Grainger (2021–2024)[21]Jon Grey (2024)[22]Rhian Wilkinson (2024–)[23]The following players were called up for thefriendly matches to be played inMalaga,Spain andJerez de la Frontera,Spain against andSwitzerland on 28 November 2025 and 2 December 2025, respectively.[24]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Olivia Clark | (2001-08-30)30 August 2001 (age 24) | 33 | 0 | Leicester City |
| 12 | 1GK | Poppy Soper | (2002-05-04)4 May 2002 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Rugby Borough |
| 21 | 1GK | Safia Middleton-Patel | (2004-09-21)21 September 2004 (age 21) | 6 | 0 | Manchester United |
| 3 | 2DF | Gemma Evans | (1996-08-01)1 August 1996 (age 29) | 82 | 1 | Liverpool |
| 18 | 2DF | Esther Morgan | (2002-08-28)28 August 2002 (age 23) | 14 | 0 | Bristol City |
| 19 | 2DF | Ella Powell | (2000-02-01)1 February 2000 (age 25) | 15 | 0 | Bristol City |
| 5 | 2DF | Rhiannon Roberts | (1990-08-30)30 August 1990 (age 35) | 82 | 2 | Sunderland |
| 2 | 2DF | Teagan Scarlett | (2007-09-21)21 September 2007 (age 18) | 1 | 0 | Arsenal |
| 24 | 2DF | Annie Wilding | (2004-02-28)28 February 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Portsmouth |
| 2DF | Lily Woodham | (2000-09-03)3 September 2000 (age 25) | 42 | 3 | Liverpool | |
| 16 | 3MF | Charlie Estcourt | (1998-05-27)27 May 1998 (age 27) | 50 | 3 |  DC Power |
| 7 | 3MF | Ceri Holland | (1997-12-12)12 December 1997 (age 27) | 48 | 7 | Liverpool |
| 3MF | Laura Hughes | (2001-06-06)6 June 2001 (age 24) | 0 | 0 | Melbourne City | |
| 4 | 3MF | Sophie Ingle | (1991-09-02)2 September 1991 (age 34) | 144 | 6 | Bristol City |
| 8 | 3MF | Angharad James-Turner(captain) | (1994-06-01)1 June 1994 (age 31) | 137 | 6 | Seattle Reign |
| 14 | 3MF | Hayley Ladd | (1993-10-06)6 October 1993 (age 32) | 109 | 3 | Everton |
| 20 | 3MF | Carrie Jones | (2003-09-04)4 September 2003 (age 22) | 42 | 3 | IFK Norrköping |
| 18 | 3MF | Mared Griffiths | (2007-03-03)3 March 2007 (age 18) | 2 | 1 | Manchester United |
| 19 | 3MF | Mia Ross | (2003-04-28)28 April 2003 (age 22) | 1 | 0 | Charlton Athletic |
| 13 | 4FW | Rachel Rowe | (1992-09-13)13 September 1992 (age 33) | 79 | 8 | Nottingham Forest |
| 11 | 4FW | Hannah Cain | (1999-02-11)11 February 1999 (age 26) | 20 | 4 | Leicester City |
| 4FW | Olivia Francis | (2006-02-20)20 February 2006 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Plymouth Argyle | |
| 15 | 4FW | Elise Hughes | (2001-04-15)15 April 2001 (age 24) | 34 | 3 | Crystal Palace |
| 23 | 4FW | Ffion Morgan | (2000-05-11)11 May 2000 (age 25) | 48 | 2 | West Ham United |
| 17 | 4FW | Mary McAteer | (2004-01-02)2 January 2004 (age 21) | 8 | 1 | Charlton Athletic |
| 4FW | Phoebie Poole | (2004-05-13)13 May 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Plymouth Argyle | |
| 9 | 4FW | Tianna Teisar | (2005-09-24)24 September 2005 (age 20) | 2 | 0 | Plymouth Argyle (on loan fromBristol City) |
The following players have also been called up to the squad within the past 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Soffia KellyINJ | (2007-03-06)6 March 2007 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Aston Villa | v. England, 3 July 2025 |
| GK | Laura O'Sullivan-JonesINJ | (1991-08-23)23 August 1991 (age 34) | 59 | 0 | Gwalia United | v. Denmark, 4 April 2025 |
| DF | Mayzee DaviesINJ | (2006-08-25)25 August 2006 (age 19) | 6 | 0 | Manchester City | v. Italy, 3 June 2025 |
| DF | Lois JoelINJ | (1999-06-02)2 June 1999 (age 26) | 10 | 0 | Newcastle United | v. France, 9 July 2025 |
| DF | Scarlett Hill | (2007-10-09)9 October 2007 (age 18) | 2 | 0 | Manchester United | v. Poland, 28 October 2025 |
| DF | Amy Richardson | (2006-01-05)5 January 2006 (age 19) | 0 | 0 |  Celtic | |
| DF | Gwen Zimmerman | (2007-09-24)24 September 2007 (age 18) | 1 | 0 | Eclipse Select | v. Australia, 25 October 2025 |
| MF | Anna Filbey | (1999-10-11)11 October 1999 (age 26) | 8 | 0 | Watford | v. Poland, 28 October 2025 |
| MF | Jess FishlockRET | (1987-01-14)14 January 1987 (age 38) | 166 | 48 | Seattle Reign | v. Australia, 25 October 2025 |
| MF | Josie GreenINJ | (1993-04-25)25 April 1993 (age 32) | 42 | 0 | Crystal Palace | v. England, 13 July 2025 |
| MF | Alice GriffithsINJ | (2001-01-22)22 January 2001 (age 24) | 17 | 0 | Rangers | v. Poland, 28 October 2025 |
| MF | Josie Longhurst | (2002-02-24)24 February 2002 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Vancouver Rise | v. Sweden, 8 April 2025 |
| MF | Ellen JonesINJ | (2002-01-10)10 January 2002 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Sunderland | v. Sweden, 25 February 2025 |
| FW | Kayleigh BartonRET | (1988-03-22)22 March 1988 (age 37) | 89 | 22 | Saltdean United | v. England, 13 July 2025 |
| ||||||
Most capped players[edit]
|
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(May 2025) |
| # | Player | Year(s) | Goals | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jess Fishlock | 2006–2025 | 48 | 166 |
| 2 | Helen Ward | 2008–2023 | 44 | 105 |
| 3 | Natasha Harding | 2008–2022 | 26 | 103 |
In April 2017,Jess Fishlock became the first player to earn 100 caps for the Wales national football team.[29]
In April 2024,Jess Fishlock became the first player to earn 150 caps for the Wales national football team.[30]
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification play-offs record | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
 1991 | Did not enter | UEFA EURO 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Did not qualify | UEFA EURO 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 21 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
 2023 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||||
   2031 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||||
 2035 | Qualified | Qualified as co-host | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 1/12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 54 | 24 | 10 | 20 | 96 | 70 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
Wales at the UEFA Women's Championship
| UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualifying record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | P | W | D* | L | GF | GA | P | W | D* | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
 1984 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1987 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Did not qualify | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 36 | – | ||||||||
| 1997 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 15 | ||||||||||
| 2001 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 16 | ||||||||||
| 2005 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Did not qualify | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 21 | – | ||||||||
| 2013 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 14 | ||||||||||
| 2017 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2025 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 7 |  [a] | 20th | |
| Total | 1/14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 65 | 21 | 11 | 33 | 93 | 124 | 20th | ||
| UEFA Women's Nations League record | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League phase | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | Lg | Grp | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
| 2023–24 | A | 3 | 4th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 15 |  | 16th |  2024 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2025 | A | 4 | 4th | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | | 14th | 2025 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Total | 12 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 25 | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Promoted at end of season |
|---|---|
 | No movement at end of season |
| Relegated at end of season |
| * | Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs |
TheAlgarve Cup is a global invitationaltournament for national teams inwomen's soccer hosted by thePortuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in theAlgarve region ofPortugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious women's football events, alongside theWomen's World Cup andWomen's Olympic Football.
 Algarve Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA | |
| 1994 to2001 | did not enter | |||||||
| 2002 | 12th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
| 2003 | 12th | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| 2004 | 10th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |
| 2005 to2008 | did not enter | |||||||
| 2009 | 12th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 6 | |
| 2010 | did not enter | |||||||
| 2011 | 8th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | |
| 2012 | 8th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2013 | 12th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2014 to2025 | did not enter | |||||||
| Total | 8/26 | 28 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 31 | 47 | |
| Year | Result | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Pinatar Cup | Runner-up | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
regulations was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
