WALES
Wales head to Euro 2025 for their first ever tournament, from their 15th qualification attempt.
Words Jessy Parker Humphreys
It’s a momentous achievement for a team that, only two decades ago, couldn’t even try to qualify for Euro 2005 in England – the Welsh FA controversially withdrew from a group with Kazakhstan, Belarus, Estonia and Israel, citing travel costs, opting to prioritise funding for the men’s side instead. For players such as Jess Fishlock, Angharad James-Turner and Hayley Ladd, who each have more than 100 caps, walking out for their first match in Switzerland will be an incredibly proud moment.
The draw hasn’t been very kind to Wales, who somehow find themselves preparing to face three of Europe’s top six nations – although with England being their final opponents, the opportunity to eliminate their neighbours must surely have crossed their mind. Such a tough group does take the pressure off Cymru, and they have shown recently that they can make life difficult for better foes. Already in 2025, they’ve drawn with Sweden twice and lost only narrowly to Italy and Denmark. Under Rhian Wilkinson, they’ve become an efficient and organised side boasting a counter-attacking threat.