Wales national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wales

Nickname(s)	The Dragons (Welsh: Y Dreigiau)
Association	Football Association of Wales (FAW)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Craig Bellamy
Captain	Aaron Ramsey
Most caps	Gareth Bale (111)
Top scorer	Gareth Bale (41)
Home stadium	Cardiff City Stadium
FIFA code	WAL
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	19 (7 February 2019)
Highest	8 (October 2015)
Lowest	117 (August 2011)
Elo ranking
Current	29 5 (3 March 2019)
Highest	3 (1876~1885)
Lowest	88 (March 2011)
First international
Scotland 4–0 Wales  (Glasgow, Scotland; 25 March 1876)
Biggest win
Wales 11–0 Ireland  (Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888)
Biggest defeat
Scotland 9–0 Wales  (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878)
World Cup
Appearances	2 (first in 1958)
Best result	Quarter-finals (1958)
European Championship
Appearances	2 (first in 2016)
Best result	Semi-finals (2016)
Medal record Men's football UEFA European Championship Bronze 2016 France (s.f.) Team

The Wales national football team (Welsh: Tîm pêl-droed cenedlaethol Cymru) plays for Wales in international football games. The team is managed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW). The FAW is the main group for football in Wales. Wales has been a member of FIFA since 1946 and UEFA since 1954.

Wales has played in the FIFA World Cup twice. They played in 1958 and 2022. In 1958, they reached the quarter-finals. They lost to Brazil, who later won the tournament. After 58 years, Wales played in another big tournament. They qualified for UEFA Euro 2016. This happened after their ranking went up a lot, from 117th in 2011 to 8th in 2015. In Euro 2016, they reached the semi-finals. They lost to Portugal, who also won that tournament. Wales also made it to the round of 16 in UEFA Euro 2020.

Many players in the Welsh team come from top Welsh clubs. These include Cardiff City and Swansea City. These clubs play in the English league system. Other Welsh clubs like Newport County, Wrexham, and Merthyr Town also play there. Most Welsh football clubs play in the Welsh football league system. Wales is part of the United Kingdom. So, Welsh athletes play for Great Britain in the Olympic Games. This means the national football team does not play in the Olympics.

History of Welsh Football

Starting Years of the Team

Wales played its first official game on 25 March 1876. They played against Scotland in Glasgow. This made Wales the third-oldest international football team in the world. Scotland won the first game 4–0. A return match was set for Wales the next year. The first international game in Wales was on 5 March 1877. It was played at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham. Scotland won again, 2–0.

Wales first played England in 1879. They lost 2–1 in London. In 1882, Wales played Ireland for the first time. They won 7–1 in Wrexham.

Football groups from the four Home Nations (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales) met in Manchester. This meeting was on 6 December 1882. They wanted to create worldwide rules for football. They formed the International Football Association Board (IFAB). This group still approves changes to the rules today. From 1883–84, they played the British Home Championship. This tournament happened every year until 1983–84. Wales won this championship 12 times. They won it completely seven times and shared the title five times.

The FAW joined FIFA in 1910. FIFA is the world's main football group. But the British groups had problems with FIFA. They left FIFA in 1928 over money for amateur players. Because of this, Wales did not play in the first three FIFA World Cups. In 1932, Wales played against the Republic of Ireland. This was their first game against a team outside the Home Nations. A year later, Wales played outside the UK for the first time. They went to Paris to play France national football team. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. After World War II, Wales and the other Home Nations rejoined FIFA in 1946. They played in the qualifying games for the 1950 World Cup. The 1949–50 Home Championships were used as a qualifying group. The top two teams would go to the finals in Brazil. Wales finished last in their group.

The 1958 World Cup Journey

The 1950s were a great time for Welsh football. They had famous players like Ivor Allchurch, Cliff Jones, and John Charles.

Wales played in their first World Cup finals in 1958 in Sweden. Their way to qualify was very unusual. They finished second in their qualifying group behind Czechoslovakia. It looked like they would not qualify. But then, events in the Middle East changed things. Egypt and Sudan refused to play against Israel. This was because of the Suez Crisis. Indonesia also wanted to play Israel on neutral ground. So, FIFA said Israel won their group. But FIFA did not want a team to qualify without playing a match.

So, FIFA drew names from all the second-placed teams in UEFA. Belgium was chosen first but said no. Then Wales was picked. They got to play a two-game play-off against Israel. The winner would go to Sweden. Wales beat Israel 2–0 in both games. One game was in Israel and one in Cardiff. This sent Wales to their first World Cup finals.

The strong Welsh team did well in Sweden. They drew all their group matches against Hungary, Mexico, and Sweden. They then beat Hungary in a play-off game. This put them in the quarter-finals against Brazil. But Wales' chances were hurt because John Charles was injured. He could not play in the match. Wales lost 1–0. A 17-year-old player named Pelé scored his first international goal. This goal made Pelé the youngest World Cup goal scorer. Brazil went on to win the tournament.

Wales' amazing journey in Sweden was written about in a book. It was called When Pele Broke Our Hearts: Wales and the 1958 World Cup. It also inspired a documentary.

Wales in the 1970s

Wales did not qualify for the first four UEFA European Championship tournaments. These started in 1960. They also did not repeat their World Cup success. But they did get a good draw against England in the 1970 British Home Championship. England was the world champion at the time. This helped Wales share the Home Championship trophy that year.

In 1976, the team reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship. They were managed by Mike Smith. They finished first in their qualifying group. But this was not seen as part of the finals tournament. Before 1980, only four countries played in the finals. Wales was set to play Yugoslavia. Wales lost the first game 2–0. They were knocked out after a 1–1 draw in the second game. This game was in Cardiff and had crowd trouble. Wales was first banned from the 1980 tournament. But this was changed to a four-year ban on playing games near Cardiff.

The next year, Wales beat England on English soil for the first time in 42 years. They won at Wembley Stadium. This was thanks to a penalty by Leighton James. Wales finished second in the 1977 British Home Championship. Wales also beat Czechoslovakia, who were European Champions. This win helped Wales try to qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. But their attempt ended in a disputed way. In a key game against Scotland, a penalty was given to Scotland. Replays showed the handball might have been by a Scottish player.

Another big moment for Wales was in the 1980 British Home Championship. Wales easily beat England 4–1. This was just four days after England had beaten world champions Argentina.

The 1980s for Wales

In the 1982 World Cup qualifiers, Wales almost made it. The team was managed by Mike England. A 3–0 loss to the Soviet Union in their last game meant they missed out. This was due to goal difference. But the real problem was not beating Iceland in their last home game. That game ended 2–2.

Wales also just missed qualifying for the 1984 UEFA European Championship. They were seconds away from qualifying. But a goal by Ljubomir Radanović for Yugoslavia in injury time knocked Wales out.

Mark Hughes scored the only goal on his debut for Wales in 1984. They beat England again. The next season, Hughes scored an amazing goal. Wales beat Spain 3–0 during qualification for the 1986 World Cup. But despite beating Scotland 1–0, Iceland again stopped Wales. Iceland beat Wales 1–0. For the second World Cup in a row, Wales missed out on goal difference. Wales needed to win their last game at home to Scotland. But they drew 1–1. This game was sad because Scotland manager Jock Stein died from a heart attack at the end.

Wales started well in their bid for the 1988 European Championship. They were unbeaten after four games. But losses to Denmark and Czechoslovakia in their last two games ended their hopes. This also ended Mike England's eight years as Welsh coach.

Wales in the 1990s

Under coach Terry Yorath, Wales had a great win on 5 June 1991. They beat world champions Germany in a Euro 1992 qualifier. Ian Rush scored the goal. Three months later, on 11 September 1991, Wales beat Brazil for the only time. This was in a friendly game, with a goal from Dean Saunders. At this point, Wales looked good to move on in their qualifying group. But Germany won their last three games, including a 4–1 win against Wales. This knocked Wales out.

Wales also did well in their qualifying group for the 1994 World Cup. They had a big win at home against Belgium. Wales reached their highest FIFA World Rankings position at that time. Again, Wales came close to qualifying but failed at the end. They needed to win their final game at home against Romania. The game was on 17 November. Paul Bodin missed a penalty when the score was 1–1. Right after, Romania scored and won 2–1.

After not qualifying, Yorath's contract as manager was not renewed. Real Sociedad manager John Toshack was hired part-time. But Toshack quit after just one game. He said he had problems with the FAW. He was also booed by fans who were upset about Yorath leaving. Mike Smith became manager again for the Euro 1996 qualifiers. But Wales lost badly to Moldova and Georgia. Then Bobby Gould was hired in June 1995.

Many Welsh fans see Gould's time as manager as a bad period. His strange tactics and public fights with players like Nathan Blake and Mark Hughes were not popular. They also had embarrassing losses. One was a 7–1 defeat by the Netherlands in 1996. Gould finally quit after a 4–0 loss to Italy in 1999. The FAW then asked two team legends, Neville Southall and Mark Hughes, to take temporary charge. Hughes was later made permanent manager.

Wales in the 2000s

Under Mark Hughes, Wales almost qualified for Euro 2004 in Portugal. They lost closely to Russia in the play-offs. This loss was controversial because of a Russian player, Yegor Titov. But FIFA did not punish Russia much. Russia then beat Wales 1–0 in Cardiff to qualify.

Hughes left the national team after a bad start to the 2006 World Cup qualifying games. He became manager of Premier League club Blackburn Rovers. John Toshack was hired as manager for the second time in November 2004. In Euro 2008 qualifying, Wales finished 5th in their group. In 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 4, two 2–0 home losses ended Wales' hopes of qualifying.

Wales was in a group for UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group G. After losing their first game, John Toshack stepped down as manager. This was on 9 September 2010. He was unhappy with recent results. Wales under-21 coach Brian Flynn took over as temporary manager.

Wales in the 2010s

Gary Speed became the permanent manager on 14 December 2010. Speed made 20-year-old Aaron Ramsey captain. This made him the youngest Wales captain. In August 2011, Wales reached its lowest FIFA ranking of 117th. But after some good games, Wales quickly rose to 45th in the FIFA rankings by October 2011. A 4–1 home win against Norway on 12 November 2011 was Speed's last game. This game showed how much Speed had improved the team. His time as manager ended sadly two weeks later when he died on 27 November.

London won the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. This meant a Great Britain team would play as the host nation. But the FAW was strongly against this. Even so, Welsh players Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale wanted to play for the Great Britain Olympic team. Bale pulled out due to injury. But Ramsey was joined by four other Welsh players. These included Joe Allen and Neil Taylor from Swansea City. Also, Ryan Giggs from Manchester United and Craig Bellamy from Liverpool played as older players. Giggs was made captain.

Chris Coleman became Wales team manager on 19 January 2012. For 2014 World Cup qualification, Wales finished 5th in their group. Wales was in Group B for qualifying for Euro 2016. In July 2015, Wales was at the top of their group. They had four wins and two draws.

In July 2015, Wales reached its highest FIFA ranking of tenth. They were placed among the top teams for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification draw. In September 2015, Wales was ranked ninth, higher than England for the first time. In October 2015, Wales reached its highest-ever FIFA ranking of eighth. On 10 October 2015, Wales lost 2–0 to Bosnia and Herzegovina. But Wales still qualified for Euro 2016. This was confirmed when Cyprus beat Israel that same night.

Euro 2016 Success

Wales qualified for Euro 2016 in France. This was their first European Championship. They were in Group B with Slovakia, Russia, and England. In their first Euro game on 11 June, Gareth Bale scored from a free-kick. This gave Wales a 1–0 lead. Hal Robson-Kanu scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory. In their second game, against England, Wales led 1–0 at half-time. Bale scored another free-kick. But they lost 2–1. Against Russia, Aaron Ramsey, Neil Taylor, and Bale scored. Wales won 3–0 and won their group.

In the round of 16, Wales played Northern Ireland. They won 1–0 with an own goal from Gareth McAuley. In the quarter-final against Belgium, Wales went behind. But captain Ashley Williams scored to tie the game. Then Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes scored. Wales won 3–1. This win sent Wales to their first major tournament semi-final. They were the first British team to reach a major semi-final since 1996.

Wales lost 2–0 in the semi-final against Portugal. Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani came early in the second half. Wales was welcomed home on 8 July with a parade in Cardiff.

2018 World Cup and China Cup

Wales finished third in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group. So, they did not qualify for the final tournament. Chris Coleman resigned as Wales manager on 17 November 2017.

Wales was invited to play in the 2018 China Cup. They played against China, Czech Republic, and Uruguay. Wales beat China 6–0 in the semi-final. But they lost 1–0 to Uruguay in the final.

Wales in the 2020s

On 15 January 2018, Ryan Giggs became the new manager. Wales lost two of their first three qualifying games for UEFA Euro 2020. But they did not lose any games in the second half of 2019. They qualified in second place after beating Hungary 2–0 on 19 November. Euro 2020 was moved to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. So, Wales' next games were in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League. They did not lose any games, winning five and drawing one. This happened even though Giggs was not available for the last two games. With Rob Page as temporary manager, the team beat Finland 3–1. They finished first in their group and moved up to League A for the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League.

UEFA Euro 2020 was played in June and July 2021. Under Page, Wales got out of the group stage. They finished second in their group. In the last 16 round, Wales lost to Denmark.

Rob Page continued as temporary manager for the 2022 World Cup qualification. Wales finished second in their group. They went to the play-off stage. After beating Austria in the semi-final, Wales qualified for the World Cup. This was their first time since 1958. They won 1–0 against Ukraine.

Wales was promoted in the last Nations League. They were drawn in Group A4 of the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League. They played Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland. Rob Page was still the temporary manager.

On 20 June 2022, Ryan Giggs resigned as Wales manager. This was because of his court case. Page stayed as temporary manager. He was then given a four-year contract in September 2022. He managed Wales at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Wales drew 1–1 with the United States in their first game. They lost their second game to Iran after giving up two goals in extra time. In their last game, Wales lost 3–0 to England. They finished last in their group.

On 9 January 2023, Wales captain Gareth Bale stopped playing club and international football. When he retired, he was Wales' top goal scorer and had played the most games.

During UEFA Euro 2024 qualification, Wales finished 3rd in their group. This meant they had to qualify through play-offs. In the play-off semi-final, Wales beat Finland 4–1. But they lost the play-off final to Poland on penalties. In June 2024, Rob Page was removed as Wales' manager.

Craig Bellamy was announced as the new head coach of the Welsh national team on 9 July 2024.

Team Look and Feel

TV Coverage

You can watch Wales games on S4C (in Welsh) and Sky Sports (in English) until 2022.

Team Colors and Logo

The main kit has always been all red. The badge of the Football Association of Wales shows a rampant Welsh Dragon on a white shield. From 1920, the shield had a red border. The letters 'FAW' were added in 1926. The badge was changed in 1951. It got a green border with 11 daffodils. It also had the Welsh-language saying Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae. This means "The best play is team play". The saying was briefly removed in 1984. But the badge stayed mostly the same until 2010. Then the shield became rounded. The motto banner changed from white to red and green. The dragon also changed its pose. The motto was removed again in 2019. This was after another big change to the badge. The top of the shield was flattened. The sides no longer curved out. The green border became thinner, and the daffodils were removed.

Kit Makers

Kit provider	Period
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–

Team Name

The team is sometimes called "Cymru". This is the Welsh language name for Wales. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) uses this name in its messages. In October 2022, the FAW said it might change the team's name. They might only use the Welsh name for the country after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They were talking with UEFA about how to change the name. They were inspired by Turkey changing its name to Türkiye.

Home Stadiums

From 2000 to 2009, Wales played most home games at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. This stadium was built in 1999. It was on the site of the old National Stadium, called Cardiff Arms Park. This was because the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) was chosen to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Before 1989, Wales played home games at the grounds of Cardiff City, Swansea City, and Wrexham. Then they agreed with the WRU to use Cardiff Arms Park, and later the Millennium Stadium.

Wales' first football game at the Millennium Stadium was on 29 March 2000. They played against Finland. Finland won 2–1. Jari Litmanen scored the first goal at the stadium. Ryan Giggs scored Wales' goal, becoming the first Welshman to score there.

When the Cardiff City Stadium opened in 2009, the FAW decided to play most friendly games there. Other friendly games were played at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea (now Swansea.com Stadium) and the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. Qualifying games continued at the 74,500-seat Millennium Stadium until late 2009. But it was often only 20–40% full because the team was not doing well. Fans and players asked for games to be held in smaller stadiums.

For the Euro 2012 qualifying, Wales decided to play all home games at Cardiff City Stadium or Liberty Stadium. The only exception was the home game against England, which was at the Millennium Stadium. The 2014 World Cup qualifying had four home games at Cardiff City Stadium and one at Liberty Stadium. Cardiff City Stadium's capacity grew to 33,000 in 2014. All home games for Euro 2016 qualifying were played there. Wales then qualified for the finals. All five home qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup were also held there. All home games in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign also took place there. A friendly game against Spain was played at the Millennium Stadium on 11 October 2018. This was Wales' first game there in over seven years. They lost 4–1. On 20 March 2019, Wales played a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago at the Racecourse Ground. This was their first game there since 2008.

Recent Matches and Future Games

Here are some of the recent and upcoming matches for the Wales national football team.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Friendly 6 June 2024 (2024-06-06)	Gibraltar	0–0	Wales	Faro/Loulé, Portugal
18:00		https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/friendlies/match/2040619--gibraltar-vs-wales/		Stadium: Estádio Algarve Referee: Jamie Robinson (Northern Ireland)

Friendly 9 June 2024	Slovakia	4–0	Wales	Trnava, Slovakia
20:45	Kucka  45' Boženík  56' Ampadu  60' (o.g.) Bénes  90'	https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/friendlies/match/2040594--slovakia-vs-wales/		Stadium: Štadión Antona Malatinského Attendance: 6,348 Referee: Daniel Stefański (Poland)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 6 September 2024 (2024-09-06)	Wales	0–0	Turkey	Cardiff, Wales
19:45 UTC+1		Sky report		Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 28,625 Referee: Rohit Saggi (Norway)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 9 September 2024 (2024-09-09)	Montenegro	1–2	Wales	Nikšić, Montenegro
19:45 UTC±0	Camaj  73'	Sky report	Moore  1' Wilson  3'	Stadium: Gradski Stadium Attendance: 3,569 Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 11 October 2024 (2024-10-11)	Iceland	2–2	Wales	Reykjavík, Iceland
18:45 UTC±0	Tómasson  69' Ward  72' (o.g.)	https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040111/	Johnson  11' Wilson  29'	Stadium: Laugardalsvöllur Attendance: 6,141 Referee: Antoni Bandić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 14 October 2024 (2024-10-14)	Wales	1–0	Montenegro	Cardiff, Wales
19:45 UTC+1	Wilson  26' (pen.)	https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040136/		Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 27,326 Referee: Filip Glova (Slovakia)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 16 November 2024 (2024-11-16)	Turkey	0–0	Wales	Kayseri, Turkey
20:00 UTC+3		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040167/		Stadium: Kadir Has Stadium Attendance: 28,812 Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera (Spain)

2024–25 UEFA Nations League B 19 November 2024 (2024-11-19)	Wales	4–1	Iceland	Cardiff, Wales
19:45 UTC±0	Cullen  32', 45+1' Johnson  65' Wilson  79'	https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040196/	Guðjohnsen  8'	Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 28,240 Referee: António Nobre (Portugal)

2025 Matches

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification 22 March 2025	Wales	3–1	Kazakhstan	Cardiff, Wales
19:45 UTC±0	D. James  9' B. Davies  47' Matondo  90'	https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044167/	Tagybergen  32' (pen.)	Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 32,473 Referee: Donatas Rumšas (Lithuania)

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification 25 March 2025	Macedonia	1–1	Wales	Skopje, North Macedonia
20:45 UTC+1	Miovski  90+1'	https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044179/	Brooks  90+6'	Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena Attendance: 23,114 Referee: Jérôme Brisard (France)

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification 6 June 2025	Wales	v	Liechtenstein	Cardiff, Wales
19:45 UTC+1		https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044185/		Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification 9 June 2025	Belgium	v	Wales	Brussels, Belgium
20:45 UTC+2		https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2044199/		Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium

Coaching Staff and History

Current Coaching Team

Position	Name
Head Coach	Craig Bellamy
Assistant Coaches	Andrew Crofts James Rowberry Piet Cremers Ryland Morgans
Head of Performance	Nick Davies
Goalkeeping Coach	Martyn Margetson
Fitness Coach	Adam Owen
Medical Officer	Jon Houghton
Performance Psychologist	Ian Mitchell
Physiotherapists	Sean Connelly
	David Rowe
	Chris Senior
	Paul Harris
Sports Scientist	Ronan Kavanagh
Equipment Officers	David Griffiths
	Kevin McCusker
Performance Analysts	Esther Wills
	James Turner

Past Coaches

Caretaker managers (those in temporary charge) are shown in italics. Before 1954, a group of selectors chose the Welsh team. The team captain acted as the coach.

Players of the Team

Current Squad

This is the team chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games. They will play against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia in March 2025.

The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of 25 March 2025, after the match against North Macedonia.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
12	1GK	Danny Ward	(1993-06-22) 22 June 1993 (age 32)	44	0	Leicester City
1	1GK	Karl Darlow	(1990-10-08) 8 October 1990 (age 34)	5	0	Leeds United
21	1GK	Adam Davies	(1992-07-17) 17 July 1992 (age 32)	5	0	Sheffield United
4	2DF	Ben Davies (vice-captain)	(1993-04-24) 24 April 1993 (age 32)	94	3	Tottenham Hotspur
14	2DF	Connor Roberts	(1995-09-23) 23 September 1995 (age 29)	61	3	Burnley
6	2DF	Joe Rodon	(1997-10-22) 22 October 1997 (age 27)	52	0	Leeds United
2	2DF	Chris Mepham	(1997-11-05) 5 November 1997 (age 27)	48	0	Sunderland
3	2DF	Neco Williams	(2001-04-13) 13 April 2001 (age 24)	46	4	Nottingham Forest
5	2DF	Ben Cabango	(2000-05-30) 30 May 2000 (age 25)	12	0	Swansea City
	2DF	Jay Dasilva	(1998-04-22) 22 April 1998 (age 27)	2	0	Coventry City
7	3MF	Joe Allen	(1990-03-14) 14 March 1990 (age 35)	77	2	Swansea City
10	3MF	David Brooks	(1997-07-08) 8 July 1997 (age 27)	33	5	Bournemouth
17	3MF	Jordan James	(2004-07-02) 2 July 2004 (age 20)	18	0	Rennes
19	3MF	Sorba Thomas	(1999-01-25) 25 January 1999 (age 26)	16	0	Nantes
22	3MF	Josh Sheehan	(1995-03-30) 30 March 1995 (age 30)	12	0	Bolton Wanderers
	3MF	Oli Cooper	(1999-12-14) 14 December 1999 (age 25)	5	0	Swansea City
	3MF	Kai Andrews	(2006-08-06) 6 August 2006 (age 18)	0	0	Motherwell
20	4FW	Daniel James	(1997-11-10) 10 November 1997 (age 27)	57	8	Leeds United
13	4FW	Kieffer Moore	(1992-08-08) 8 August 1992 (age 32)	48	13	Sheffield United
11	4FW	Brennan Johnson	(2001-05-23) 23 May 2001 (age 24)	35	5	Tottenham Hotspur
8	4FW	Tom Lawrence	(1994-01-31) 31 January 1994 (age 31)	23	3	Rangers
23	4FW	Nathan Broadhead	(1998-04-05) 5 April 1998 (age 27)	14	2	Ipswich Town
9	4FW	Rabbi Matondo	(2000-09-09) 9 September 2000 (age 24)	14	1	Hannover 96
18	4FW	Mark Harris	(1998-12-29) 29 December 1998 (age 26)	10	0	Oxford United
15	4FW	Liam Cullen	(1999-04-23) 23 April 1999 (age 26)	8	2	Swansea City
16	4FW	Lewis Koumas	(2005-09-19) 19 September 2005 (age 19)	5	0	Stoke City

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called up for the team in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Tom King	(1995-03-09) 9 March 1995 (age 30)	1	0	Wolverhampton Wanderers	v.  Iceland, 19 November 2024
GK	David Harrington	(2000-07-01) 1 July 2000 (age 24)	0	0	Fleetwood Town	v.  Iceland, 19 November 2024
DF	Rhys Norrington-Davies	(1999-04-22) 22 April 1999 (age 26)	13	1	Sheffield United	v.  Iceland, 19 November 2024
DF	Owen Beck	(2002-08-09) 9 August 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Blackburn Rovers	v.  Turkey, 16 November 2024INJ
DF	Joe Low	(2002-02-20) 20 February 2002 (age 23)	2	0	Wycombe Wanderers	v.  Slovakia, 9 June 2024
DF	Fin Stevens	(2003-04-10) 10 April 2003 (age 22)	2	0	St. Pauli	v.  Slovakia, 9 June 2024
DF	Matt Baker	(2003-02-06) 6 February 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Newport County	v.  Slovakia, 9 June 2024
MF	Harry Wilson	(1997-03-22) 22 March 1997 (age 28)	60	12	Fulham	v.  Iceland, 19 November 2024
MF	Rubin Colwill	(2002-04-27) 27 April 2002 (age 23)	9	1	Cardiff City	v.  Iceland, 19 November 2024
MF	Charlie Savage	(2003-05-02) 2 May 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Reading	v.  Iceland, 19 November 2024
MF	Charlie Crew	(2006-06-15) 15 June 2006 (age 19)	1	0	Doncaster Rovers	v.  Iceland, 19 November 2024
MF	Wes Burns	(1994-11-23) 23 November 1994 (age 30)	10	0	Ipswich Town	v.  Turkey, 16 November 2024INJ
MF	Luke Harris	(2005-03-04) 4 March 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Birmingham City	v.  Turkey, 16 November 2024 INJ
MF	Aaron Ramsey (captain)	(1990-12-26) 26 December 1990 (age 34)	86	21	Cardiff City	v.  Montenegro, 9 September 2024INJ
MF	Ethan Ampadu	(2000-09-14) 14 September 2000 (age 24)	54	0	Leeds United	v.  Montenegro, 9 September 2024INJ
INJ Withdrew due to injury WD Withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue SUS Serving suspension RET Retired from the national team

Player Records

Players in bold are still playing for Wales.

Most Games Played

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Gareth Bale	111	41	2006–2022
2	Chris Gunter	109	0	2007–2022
	Wayne Hennessey	109	0	2007–present
4	Ben Davies	94	3	2012–present
5	Neville Southall	92	0	1982–1997
6	Aaron Ramsey	86	21	2008–present
	Ashley Williams	86	2	2008–2019
8	Gary Speed	85	7	1990–2004
9	Craig Bellamy	78	19	1998–2013
10	Joe Allen	77	2	2009–present
	Joe Ledley	77	4	2005–2018

Most Goals Scored

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Gareth Bale (list)	41	111	0.37	2006–2022
2	Ian Rush (list)	28	73	0.38	1980–1996
3	Trevor Ford	23	38	0.61	1947–1957
	Ivor Allchurch	23	68	0.34	1951–1966
5	Dean Saunders	22	75	0.29	1986–2001
6	Aaron Ramsey	21	86	0.24	2008–present
7	Craig Bellamy	19	78	0.24	1998–2013
8	Robert Earnshaw	16	59	0.27	2002–2011
	Cliff Jones	16	59	0.27	1954–1970
	Mark Hughes	16	72	0.22	1984–1999

Famous Former Players

Welsh Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Welsh Players in the English Football Hall of Fame

• 2002 – John Charles
• 2005 – Ryan Giggs
• 2006 – Ian Rush
• 2007 – Mark Hughes, Billy Meredith
• 2013 – Cliff Jones
• 2015 – Ivor Allchurch
• 2016 – Neville Southall
• 2017 – Gary Speed

Welsh Winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year

• Ian Rush (1984)
• Neville Southall (1985)
• Gareth Bale (2013)

Welsh Winners of the PFA Players' Player of the Year

• Ian Rush (1984)
• Mark Hughes (1989, 1991)
• Ryan Giggs (2009)
• Gareth Bale (2011, 2013)

Team Records

• Biggest win

 Wales 11–0 Ireland 
(Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888)

• Biggest defeat

 Scotland 9–0 Wales 
(Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878)

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup Record		Qualification Record		Play-off Record
Year		Round		Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930		Not a FIFA member								Not a FIFA member						N/A
1934
1938
1950		Did not qualify								3	0	1	2	1	6
1954										3	0	1	2	5	9
1958		Quarter-finals	5th	5	1	3*	1	4	4	6	4	0	2	10	5	2	2	0	0	4	0
1962		Did not qualify								2	0	1	1	2	3	N/A
1966										6	3	0	3	11	9
1970										4	0	0	4	3	10
1974										4	1	1	2	3	5
1978										4	1	0	3	3	4
1982										8	4	2	2	12	7
1986										6	3	1	2	7	6
1990										6	0	2	4	4	8
1994										10	5	2	3	19	12
1998										8	2	1	5	20	21
2002										10	1	6	3	10	12
2006										10	2	2	6	10	15
2010										10	4	0	6	9	12
2014										10	3	1	6	9	20
2018										10	4	5	1	13	6
2022		Group stage	30th	3	0	1	2	1	6	10	6	3	1	17	10	2	2	0	0	3	1
2026		To be determined								To be determined
2030
2034
Total		Quarter-finals	2/22	8	1	4*	3	5	10	130	43	29	58	168	180	4	4	0	0	7	1

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship Record		Qualification Record		Play-off Record
Year		Round		Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960		Did not enter								Did not enter						N/A
1964		Did not qualify								2	0	1	1	2	4
1968										6	1	2	3	6	12
1972										6	2	1	3	5	6
1976										8	5	1	2	15	7	2	0	1	1	1	3
1980										6	3	0	3	11	8	N/A
1984										6	2	3	1	7	6
1988										6	2	2	2	7	5
1992										6	4	1	1	8	6
1996										10	2	2	6	9	19
2000										8	3	0	5	7	16
2004										10	4	2	4	13	11	2	0	1	1	0	1
2008										12	4	3	5	18	19	N/A
2012										8	3	0	5	6	10
2016		Semi-finals	3rd	6	4	0	2	10	6	10	6	3	1	11	4
2020		Round of 16	16th	4	1	1*	2	3	6	8	4	2	2	10	6
2024		Did not qualify								8	3	3	2	10	10	2	1	1	0	4	1
2028		To be determined								To be determined						To be determined
2032
Total		Semi-finals	2/16	10	5	1*	4	13	12	112	45	23	44	135	139	6	1	3	2	5	5

Notes

* Red border colour indicates tournament held on home soil.

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League Record
Season	Division	Group	Round	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Pts	P/R	Rank
2018–19	B	4	Group stage	4	2	0	2	6	5	6		19th
2020–21	B	4	Group stage	6	5	1	0	7	1	16		17th
2022–23	A	4	Group stage	6	0	1	5	6	11	1		16th
2024–25	B	4	Group stage	6	3	3	0	9	4	12		19th
Total			Group stage	22	10	5	7	28	21	35	16th

Team Achievements

Regional Titles

• British Home Championship
  • Champions (12)
    • Won outright (7): 1907, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1933, 1934, 1937
    • Shared (5): 1939, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1970

More About Wales Football

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Gales para niños

• Wales at the FIFA World Cup
• Wales at the UEFA European Championship
• Wales national under-21 football team
• Wales national under-20 football team
• Wales national under-19 football team
• Wales national under-18 football team
• Wales national under-17 football team
• Wales women's national football team
• Wales women's national under-17 football team
• Wales national futsal team