Take a look back at the highlights of Welsh football throughout 2024 and look ahead to 2025 in the latest FC Cymru episode.
In the last episode of 2024, FC Cymru presenter Gabriella Jukes and Football Association of Wales (FAW) CEO Noel Mooney discuss all the incredible moments on and off the pitch that have happened across all areas of the game in Wales this year.
There have been highs and lows, two managerial appointments and history made at international level. Rhian Wilkinson was appointed as Cymru manager in February and has since led the team to promotion to League A in the Nations League and qualification to the UEFA Women’s Euro Finals for the first time in history.
The men’s national team also gained promotion to League A in the Nations League following the appointment of Cymru manager Craig Bellamy in the summer. Bellamy’s side went unbeaten during the Nations League campaign and secured promotion following a 4-1 victory over Iceland at the Cardiff City stadium.
There has also been success with Cymru’s intermediate teams. A number of players have progressed through the pathway this year with several players emerging into both senior teams. Cymru’s WU19s gained promotion to League A this year whilst the WU17s maintained their place in League A. The MU17s reached a second successive UEFA Championship finals and the MU19s progressed to the Elite Round.
Looking at the domestic game, in 2024 the FAW launched the Cymru Premier Strategy to further improve the game in Wales. The New Saints made history by progressing to the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League. In the Genero Adran Leagues four clubs turned semi-professional and the finals of both cup competitions were played in front of record crowds.
In this FC Cymru episode, Noel and Gabriella also touch upon Coach Education and the FAW’s Grassroots Strategy: Enhancing Lives in Football. To find out more about the grassroots strategy and the amazing volunteer work that goes on across Wales, you can watch the FC Cymru Grassroots special on RedWall+.
So, what can we look forward to in 2025?
For the first time ever Cymru will be heading to the UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland. Noel told Gabriella, “We need to make sure that we have a long term sustainable legacy from this tournament by having lots of programmes and opportunities for girls to get involved in football. That will be the change that you’ll see. You’ll see a lot more girls involved at all different levels of Welsh football as a result of this tournament. I’m hoping in years to come we will say that 2025 really was a game changer for Welsh football.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign kicks off in March 2025. Cymru will face Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein between March and November next year. Speaking about the campaign Noel said, “We finished 2024 really strongly, if we can continue that momentum in 2025 and deliver what we all believe we can and together stronger in 2025, this could be a spectacular year for Welsh football.
“The Red Wall, all the people that are involved in Welsh football, the volunteers, all the clubs that benefit from our success, they’ve got so much to look forward to in 2025 and we can’t wait to get started. There’s so much to look forward to and it’s going to be a brilliant year for Cymru and Welsh football.”
Watch the latest episode, which is now streaming on RedWall+ and available across all FAW social media platforms.
