Cymru return to Swansea to take on Canada on Tuesday 9 September (7:45pm) and to mark the occasion we take a closer look at the Swansea City players that have represented Cymru at major tournaments.
Cymru have competed at the finals of four men’s major tournaments between 1958 and 2022, and Swansea City have been represented with players in every squad. In total, eight different players have been part of the Cymru squad for at least one major tournament while also playing for the Swans, starting with the three individuals who headed to Sweden for that World Cup debut.
The 1958 FIFA World Cup
The club were known as Swansea Town when Jimmy Murphy’s Cymru qualified for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, and despite making their first appearance on the world stage, the talented squad made history by reaching the quarter-final before being eliminated by eventual winners Brazil.
Mel Charles and brothers Ivor and Len Allchurch were the three players from Swansea Town included in Murphy’s squad for the finals. Mel and Ivor would play in all four games at the tournament, but Len did not take to the field. Cliff Jones had been a Swansea Town player but moved to Tottenham Hotspur in February that year, while Colin Webster joined the Swans from Manchester United in October.
UEFA EURO 2016
Ashley Williams was the captain of both Swansea City and Cymru when Chris Coleman’s side ended a 58-year wait to qualify for a major tournament. The central defender played a key role in leading what would become our golden generation through the qualification campaign and wore his heart on his sleeve as Cymru defied the odds to reach the semi-final stage.
Neil Taylor was the other Swansea City player to represent Cymru in France, and both played every minute of all six games. In addition, both players scored during the tournament with Taylor registering his one and only Cymru goal in the 3-0 group stage win over Russia, while Williams headed home the equaliser in the memorable quarter final win over Belgium.
UEFA EURO 2020
Connor Roberts made his senior Cymru debut in March 2018 and was an established part of the side by the time the delayed EURO tournament was played in 2021. Roberts started all four games as Cymru reached the Round of 16 and scored in the 2-0 group stage victory over Türkiye.
Defender Ben Cabango was also included in Rob Page’s squad for the tournament despite having only played one minute of competitive football for his country prior to his selection having come off the bench in the closing stages of the UEFA Nations League win over Finland in September 2020. Cabango had also played in two subsequent friendly fixtures for Cymru against England and Mexico, but did not play at the finals.
2022 FIFA World Cup
Cymru headed to Qatar with another two Swansea City players in Page’s squad. Joe Allen (main photo) had struggled with an injury ahead of what would be his third major tournament with Cymru, and he would miss the opening group stage match against the United States. However, the midfielder came off the bench against Iran for his World Cup debut and started in the defeat against England that brought Cymru’s tournament to an end.
Cabango was also included in Page’s World Cup squad, and his selection means that he remains the only player to feature at two major tournaments for Cymru while also representing Swansea City. However, he was once again an unused substitute for all three group games and is still waiting to make his first appearance for his country at a major tournament.
Craig Bellamy’s Cymru take on Canada in an International Challenge Match at the Swansea.com Stadium on Tuesday 9 September (7:45pm). Find out more about the history of this fixture and Cymru’s recent matches in Swansea here. Tickets for the match are available to purchase through the FAW ticketing website.
