In international football competitions, Wales is represented by the national football team, known in Welsh as Tîm pêl-droed cenedlaethol Cymru. It is governed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the third-oldest national football association in the world and the entity in charge of football in Wales. FAW was established in 1876.
In 1958 and 2022, the team qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They advanced to the quarterfinals in 1958 but fell to eventual champions Brazil.
After a rise of 109 positions from an all-time low of 117th to a peak of 8th in the FIFA World Rankings between August 2011 and October 2015, they took 58 years to make it to their second major tournament.
They qualified for the UEFA Euro 2016 and advanced to the semifinals before falling to the eventual champions, Portugal.
Wales advanced to the round of 16 of UEFA Euro 2020, followed by a second consecutive UEFA European Championship. They also advanced through the quarterfinals of the UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying campaign, albeit this was a two-legged, home-and-away match and is not regarded as a part of the finals competition.
In the past, the Welsh squad has included a number of players from Cardiff City and Swansea City, two of Wales’ finest club teams.
Along with neighboring Welsh clubs Newport County, Wrexham, and Merthyr Town, these two Welsh teams compete in the English league system. However, the Welsh football league system is where the majority of Welsh football clubs compete.
Wales was placed in Group E for the 2022 World Cup qualification together with Belgium, Czech Republic, Belarus, and Estonia. Page once more served as the interim manager for the 2021 and 2022 matches. Wales advanced to the qualifying play-off stage after placing second in Group E.
Before the start of Wales’ penultimate match of their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Austria, Dafydd Iwan performed the song Yma o Hyd live. Wales won 2-1.
Wales qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 with a 1-0 victory over Ukraine at the Cardiff City Stadium on June 5, 2022, after defeating Austria in the play-off semi final.
Before the game, Yma o Hyd was once more sung, and Gareth Bale, the Welsh captain, led his side in singing after the last horn. Wales was placed in Group B together with England, Iran, and the United States for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Wales National Team Roster
After joining the MLS, Gareth Bale has rejoined the team and continues to play a crucial role in leading Wales to their first World Cup appearance since 1958.
However, due to injury, Adam Davies, Harry Wilson, and Aaron Ramsey were not able to join the previous team.
Goal Keepers
Wayne Hennessey of Nottingham Forest
Danny Ward of Leicester City
Tom King of Salford City
Defenders
Ben Davies of Tottenham
Joe Rodon of Rennes
Ben Cabango of Swansea City
Chris Mepham of Bournemouth
Chris Gunter of AFC Wimbledon
Rhys Norrington-Davies of Sheffield United
Connor Roberts of Burnley
Neco Williams of Nottingham Forest)
Mid Fielders
Joe Allen of Swansea City
Joe Morrell of Portsmouth
Ethan Amapdu of Spezia
Matthew Smith of MK Dons
Dylan Levitt of Dundee United
Rabbi Matondo of Rangers
Sorba Thomas of Huddersfield
Rubin Colwill of Cardiff City
Jonny Williams of Swindon Town
Wes Byrns of Ipswich Town
Gareth Bale of Los Angeles FC
Daniel James of Fulham
Luke Harris of Fulham
Mark Harris of Cardiff City
Tyler Roberts of QPR
Kieffer Moore of Bournemouth
Brennan Johnson of Nottingham Forest
Player To Watch
Since 2007, Chris Gunter has participated in 109 games for Wales, a record. Christopher Ross Gunter, a defender for AFC Wimbledon and the Wales national team, was born on July 21, 1989. He is an attacking full defender who can play on either flank but prefers to play on the right.
He entered the Cardiff City development program before being acquired by Tottenham Hotspur, a Premier League team, in January 2008 for $4 million. He played little at Tottenham, and after a brief loan with Nottingham Forest, he returned to the Championship before joining Reading in 2012. Prior to his release in 2020 and subsequent transfers to Charlton Athletic and AFC Wimbledon, he made 314 appearances for Reading.
Gunter, who holds the record for making the second-youngest debut for the under-21 team, has been a Welsh international since the under-17 level. In 2007, he made his official debut abroad. In addition to playing at Euro 2020, he was a member of the Wales team that advanced to the semifinals at UEFA Euro 2016. He was selected the Welsh Footballer of the Year in 2017. In 2018, he surpassed Neville Southall’s previous high of 92 caps, and in 2021, he became the first Welshman to reach 100.
