Wales at the UEFA European Championship

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As founder members of UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations), the governing body for all football in Europe, the Wales national football team has participated in all but one UEFA European Championship since it began as the European Nations' Cup in 1960. The tournament has been played every four years since then, with qualifying matches being played in the two years before each tournament.

Wales' only successful qualifications for the finals have come in 2016 and 2020. In 2016, they finished as runners-up in their qualifying group, before going on to reach the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Portugal. In 2020, they also finished second in their qualifying group to secure automatic qualification for the finals, and again reached the knockout phase, but lost to Denmark in the round of 16.

1964[]

Main article: 1964 European Nations' Cup qualifying

Wales first entered the European Championship in 1964, when it was still known as the European Nations' Cup, having declined to participate in the 1960 tournament. Three of the 29 teams that entered – Austria, Luxembourg and the Soviet Union – received byes to the round of 16, while the other 26 teams competed in the two-legged preliminary round for the other 13 places. Wales were drawn against Hungary in their first competitive meeting since the group stage of the 1958 FIFA World Cup. The first leg was played in November 1962 and saw Hungary win 3–1 at Népstadion in Budapest; Flórián Albert opened the scoring in the fifth minute, before Terry Medwin equalised for Wales just under a quarter of an hour later, only for goals from Lajos Tichy in the 34th minute and Károly Sándor in the 48th to give Hungary the win. The second leg was played four months later at Ninian Park in Cardiff, and Wales got themselves back into the tie when Cliff Jones converted a penalty midway through the first half; however, Tichy equalised from the penalty spot in the 77th minute and Hungary won the tie 4–2 on aggregate.

1968[]

The 1968 tournament, now known as the UEFA European Championship, saw 31 teams enter, divided into eight groups for the qualification process. With all four Home Nations entering for the first time, the already established British Home Championship served as one of the eight qualifying groups, combining the results from the 1966–67 and 1967–68 to determine which of the four would qualify for the quarter-finals. Wales began their campaign against Scotland at Ninian Park on 22 October 1966, but only managed a draw; Ron Davies opened the scoring in the 77th minute, only for Denis Law to equalise in the 86th. Wales then suffered a 5–1 defeat away to England on 16 November 1966; Wyn Davies pulled a goal back for Wales after Geoff Hurst had put England 2–0 up after 34 minutes, but goals from Bobby and Jack Charlton and an own goal by Terry Hennessey gave England the win. Wales' final game of the 1966–67 British Home Championship was away to Northern Ireland on 12 April 1967, but it finished as a 0–0 draw, which meant Wales went into the second half of the qualifying campaign in third place.

Wales began the 1967–68 British Home Championship with another heavy defeat to England on 21 October 1967; Martin Peters opened the scoring in the 34th minute, before late goals from Bobby Charlton and Alan Ball gave England a 3–0 win that left Wales needing to win both of their remaining matches to have a chance of qualifying for the next round. In the second match, away to Scotland on 22 November 1967, Alan Gilzean gave Scotland the lead in the 16th minute before Ron Davies equalised two minutes later. Alan Durban then put Wales in front in the 57th minute, only for Gilzean to pull Scotland level again eight minutes later, before Ronnie McKinnon gave Scotland the win 12 minutes from full-time, confirming Wales' elimination. Wales secured their only win of the campaign in their final match against Northern Ireland on 28 February 1968, when goals in the last 15 minutes of the match from Ronnie Rees and Wyn Davies gave them a 2–0 victory, which also meant they avoided finishing bottom of the group.

1972[]

Although it continued to be played until 1984, the British Home Championship was not used as a qualifying group for UEFA Euro 1972; instead, the four Home Nations were all drawn into different groups. Wales were paired with Romania, Czechoslovakia and Finland in Group 1; it was their first meeting with Romania and Finland, and the first time they had been drawn with Czechoslovakia since qualifying for the 1958 World Cup. Wales' first game was against Romania at Ninian Park on 11 November 1970 and finished as a goalless draw. They then met Czechoslovakia at the Vetch Field in Swansea on 21 April 1971, where they took a 1–0 lead via a Ron Davies penalty early in the second half; however, two goals from Ján Čapkovič and another from Vladimír Táborský in the last 10 minutes gave Czechoslovakia a 3–1 win. Wales then met Finland at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium a month later, where John Toshack's goal in the 54th minute gave them their first win of the campaign.

Toshack scored again in the return fixture at the Vetch Field on 13 October 1971; Alan Durban and Gil Reece also scored to give Wales a 3–0 win and a chance at qualification if they could pick up away wins over Czechoslovakia and Romania in their final two games. However, a 1–0 win for Czechoslovakia in Prague on 27 October put Wales out of contention, and a 2–0 win for Romania in Bucharest on 24 November meant Wales finished the group in third place.

1976[]

Qualifying[]

Wales were drawn in Group 2 in qualifying for UEFA Euro 1976, along with Hungary, Austria and Luxembourg; it was the first time they had met Austria or Luxembourg competitively, and their first meeting with Hungary since qualifying for the 1964 European Nations' Cup. Wales began their campaign away to Austria on 4 September 1974 and took the lead through Arfon Griffiths with 10 minutes left in the first half; however, Wilhelm Kreuz and Hans Krankl each scored in the second half to give Austria a 2–1 win. It was Wales' only defeat of their qualifying campaign. Wales responded with consecutive clean sheets against Hungary and Luxembourg; Griffiths and Toshack gave them a 2–0 win over Hungary at Ninian Park on 30 October, before doing so again at the Vetch Field against Luxembourg, where Mike England, Phil Roberts and Terry Yorath also contributed to make the final score 5–0.

Toshack scored his third goal in three games just before half-time in the return match against Hungary on 16 April 1975, before John Mahoney made it 2–0 in the 69th minute, although László Branikovits was able to pull a goal back for Hungary eight minutes later, the first goal Wales had conceded in 266 minutes of qualifying football. Two weeks later, Gil Reece and Leighton James again gave Wales a 2–0 first-half lead away to Luxembourg, only for Paul Philipp to pull a goal back for the home side with a penalty six minutes before half-time; however, James scored with another penalty in the 83rd minute to confirm a 3–1 win for Wales and set up a winner-takes-all match against Austria at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham on the final matchday. Arfon Griffiths scored in the 69th minute to give Wales a 1–0 win and send them through to the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals[]

In the quarter-finals, Wales were drawn against the winners of Group 3, Yugoslavia. In the first leg, they went behind to a goal from Momčilo Vukotić in the opening minute, before Danilo Popivoda made it 2–0 in the 57th. Josip Katalinski then gave Yugoslavia a 1–0 lead with a penalty in the 19th minute of the second leg at Ninian Park to essentially put the tie out of Wales' reach. Ian Evans pulled a goal back in the 38th minute, but with no further goals in the second half, Wales were eliminated.

2016[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2016

Qualifying[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying

In qualifying for Euro 2016, Wales were placed in the fourth of six seeding pots, along with Montenegro, Armenia, Scotland, Finland, Latvia, Bulgaria, Estonia and Belarus.[1] They were drawn into Group B with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Israel, Cyprus and Andorra.[2]

Wales began their campaign in September 2014 with an away game against Andorra, and went behind to a penalty kick in the sixth minute; however, Gareth Bale equalised midway through the first half before scoring from a free kick with only a minute left in the game to give Wales their first three points.[3] A double-header in Cardiff followed in October 2014; first, a 0–0 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina,[4] followed by a 2–1 win over Cyprus. Goals from David Cotterill and Hal Robson-Kanu gave them the lead, only for Cyprus to pull one back; however, Wales were able to hang on for the win despite Andy King being sent off early in the second half.[5] Another goalless draw came away to Belgium in November 2014, leaving Wales in second place behind Israel – who were yet to drop a point – at the end of the year.[6]

Wales' first game of 2015 saw them travel to the group leaders in March, with Bale setting up Aaron Ramsey before scoring another two goals himself in a 3–0 win to take top spot.[7] On the occasion of his 50th international appearance, Bale then scored his fifth goal of qualifying back in Cardiff in June 2015, giving Wales a 1–0 win over Belgium, who had gone top of the group with victory over Israel in March and were on an unbeaten run stretching back to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[8] Bale again scored the only goal of the game in Wales' next match away to Cyprus in September 2015,[9] but their first chance to assure qualification was missed at home to Israel, as the visitors' defence neutralised Bale and Simon Church had a goal disallowed for offside in injury time at the end of the game.[10]

Losing 2–0 away to Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 2015, Wales' first defeat of the campaign, allowed Belgium to move into top spot in the group, but Israel's loss to Cyprus meant Wales had qualified for their first European Championship and their first major tournament since the 1958 FIFA World Cup.[11] Despite the defeat, the nation celebrated and a 2–0 win over Andorra three days later, with goals from Ramsey and Bale, was followed by a party atmosphere at the Cardiff City Stadium.[12] Bale finished with seven goals, joint for the sixth most in qualifying.[13]

Standings[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group B
Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Belgium Wales Bosnia and Herzegovina Israel Cyprus Andorra
1  Belgium 10 7 2 1 24 5 +19 23 Qualify for final tournament — 0–0 3–1 3–1 5–0 6–0
2  Wales 10 6 3 1 11 4 +7 21 1–0 — 0–0 0–0 2–1 2–0
3  Bosnia and Herzegovina 10 5 2 3 17 12 +5 17 Advance to play-offs 1–1 2–0 — 3–1 1–2 3–0
4  Israel 10 4 1 5 16 14 +2 13 0–1 0–3 3–0 — 1–2 4–0
5  Cyprus 10 4 0 6 16 17 −1 12 0–1 0–1 2–3 1–2 — 5–0
6  Andorra 10 0 0 10 4 36 −32 0 1–4 1–2 0–3 1–4 1–3 —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Finals[]

Squad[]

Wales named an initial squad of 29 players on 9 May 2016 for a training camp in Portugal ahead of travelling to France for the finals; Gareth Bale was left out due to Real Madrid's involvement in the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final.[14] Defender Adam Henley and forward Tom Bradshaw left the camp early due to injuries, before the final squad of 23 was announced on 31 May.[15] Bale was included but was a fitness concern after suffering cramp in the Champions League final, while Joe Ledley was also included less than a month after breaking his leg. There were also issues relating to the fitness of striker Hal Robson-Kanu and midfielder Joe Allen. Adam Matthews, Paul Dummett, Emyr Huws and Wes Burns were cut.[16]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Wayne Hennessey (1987-01-24)24 January 1987 (aged 29) 57 0 England Crystal Palace
2 2DF Chris Gunter (1989-07-21)21 July 1989 (aged 26) 67 0 England Reading
3 2DF Neil Taylor (1989-02-07)7 February 1989 (aged 27) 28 0 Wales Swansea City
4 2DF Ben Davies (1993-04-24)24 April 1993 (aged 23) 20 0 England Tottenham Hotspur
5 2DF James Chester (1989-01-23)23 January 1989 (aged 27) 11 0 England West Bromwich Albion
6 2DF Ashley Williams (captain) (1984-08-23)23 August 1984 (aged 31) 59 1 Wales Swansea City
7 3MF Joe Allen (1990-03-14)14 March 1990 (aged 26) 25 0 England Liverpool
8 3MF Andy King (1988-10-29)29 October 1988 (aged 27) 33 2 England Leicester City
9 4FW Hal Robson-Kanu (1989-05-21)21 May 1989 (aged 27) 30 2 England Reading
10 3MF Aaron Ramsey (1990-12-26)26 December 1990 (aged 25) 39 10 England Arsenal
11 4FW Gareth Bale (1989-07-16)16 July 1989 (aged 26) 55 19 Spain Real Madrid
12 1GK Owain Fôn Williams (1987-03-17)17 March 1987 (aged 29) 1 0 Scotland Inverness Caledonian Thistle
13 4FW George Williams (1995-09-07)7 September 1995 (aged 20) 7 0 England Gillingham
14 3MF David Edwards (1986-02-03)3 February 1986 (aged 30) 32 3 England Wolverhampton Wanderers
15 2DF Jazz Richards (1991-04-12)12 April 1991 (aged 25) 9 0 England Fulham
16 3MF Joe Ledley (1987-01-23)23 January 1987 (aged 29) 61 4 England Crystal Palace
17 4FW David Cotterill (1987-12-04)4 December 1987 (aged 28) 23 2 England Birmingham City
18 4FW Sam Vokes (1989-10-21)21 October 1989 (aged 26) 40 6 England Burnley
19 2DF James Collins (1983-08-23)23 August 1983 (aged 32) 47 3 England West Ham United
20 3MF Jonny Williams (1993-10-09)9 October 1993 (aged 22) 12 0 England Milton Keynes Dons
21 1GK Danny Ward (1993-06-22)22 June 1993 (aged 22) 2 0 England Liverpool
22 3MF David Vaughan (1983-02-18)18 February 1983 (aged 33) 42 1 England Nottingham Forest
23 4FW Simon Church (1988-12-10)10 December 1988 (aged 27) 36 3 Scotland Aberdeen

Group stage[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2016 Group B

Finishing in second place in their qualifying group meant Wales avoided having to go through a play-off to reach Euro 2016, but due to their UEFA coefficient, they were placed in the fourth and final pot for the finals draw in December 2015, along with Turkey, the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Albania and Northern Ireland.[17] The draw saw Wales paired with England, Russia and Slovakia in Group B.[18]

In their first appearance at a major tournament for 58 years, Wales played their first match of the finals on 11 June 2016, coming up against Slovakia in Bordeaux. Bale opened the scoring with a direct free kick in the 10th minute, and Wales held the lead until 16 minutes into the second half, when Ondrej Duda equalised for the Slovaks; however, Hal Robson-Kanu's goal nine minutes from the end secured the three points for Wales, who went top of the group after the first round of matches.[19] The second game on 16 June saw Wales play England in Lens; again, Bale opened the scoring from a free kick just before half-time, but a goal from Jamie Vardy 10 minutes into the second half and an injury-time winner from Daniel Sturridge saw England move a point ahead of Wales at the top of the group.[20] With places in the round of 16 going not only to the top two in each group but also to the four best third-place finishers, Wales needed only to avoid defeat to Russia in their final group match in Toulouse on 20 June; however, they were not content to settle for just a point, and ultimately ran out as 3–0 winners. Aaron Ramsey opened the scoring with a chip over Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev in the 11th minute, followed by a first international goal for left-back Neil Taylor nine minutes later, before Bale added the third midway through the second half.[21] Combined with England's goalless draw with Slovakia, the result meant Wales finished as group winners, and would play against Northern Ireland in the round of 16.

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Wales 3 2 0 1 6 3 +3 6 Advance to knockout phase
2  England 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 5
3  Slovakia 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
4  Russia 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4 1
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Wales 2–1 Slovakia
  • Bale 10'
  • Robson-Kanu 81'
 Report
  • Duda 61'
Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Attendance: 37,831[22]
Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway)
England 2–1 Wales
  • Vardy 56'
  • Sturridge 90+2'
 Report
  • Bale 42'
Attendance: 34,033[23]
Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)
Russia 0–3 Wales
Report
  • Ramsey 11'
  • Taylor 20'
  • Bale 67'
Stadium Municipal, Toulouse
Attendance: 28,840[24]
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Knockout phase[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2016 knockout phase

As the winners of Group B, the combination of best third-placed teams meant Wales played against the third-placed team from Group C, Northern Ireland, in the round of 16. The match was played in Paris on 25 June, with Wales winning 1–0 thanks to an own goal from Northern Ireland defender Gareth McAuley as he attempted to clear a low cross from Bale.[25] In the quarter-finals, Wales came up against their opponents from qualifying, Belgium, in Lille on 1 July, and went behind after less than 15 minutes, thanks to a long-range strike from Radja Nainggolan; however, just after the half-hour mark, captain Ashley Williams scored with a header from a Ramsey corner, and 10 minutes into the second half, Robson-Kanu made space in the Belgium penalty area with a Cruyff Turn to beat three defenders before finishing past Thibaut Courtois. Then, with less than five minutes to play, Sam Vokes headed home a cross from Chris Gunter to make it 3–1 to Wales and send them into their first ever semi-final of a major tournament.[26] However, they were unable to get over the last hurdle and reach the final, losing 2–0 to Portugal in Lyon on 6 July, a quick-fire double from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani proving the difference between the two sides.[27]

Round of 16

Wales 1–0 Northern Ireland
 Report
Parc des Princes, Paris
Attendance: 44,342[28]
Referee: Martin Atkinson (England)

Quarter-finals

Wales 3–1 Belgium
 Report
  • Nainggolan 13'
Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq
Attendance: 45,936[29]
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

Semi-finals

Portugal 2–0 Wales
  • Ronaldo 50'
  • Nani 53'
 Report
Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu
Attendance: 55,679[30]
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

2020[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2020

Qualifying[]

Wales' run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and subsequent good form meant they were placed in Pot 2 for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying draw, along with Germany, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Austria and the Czech Republic.[31] They were drawn into Group E with Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.[32] The top two teams from each of the 10 groups qualified automatically for the finals, while the final four places were decided by play-offs based on the teams' performance in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League.

Wales had a bye in the first round of matches, due to being in a five-team group, so their first fixture was at home to Slovakia on the second matchday, on 24 March 2019. Five minutes into his first competitive start for Wales, Daniel James scored the only goal of the game to give Wales their first three points of the campaign.[33] They had two away fixtures in June 2019, against Croatia and Hungary. In the first match, on 8 June, James Lawrence diverted a cross from Croatia's Ivan Perišić into his own net, before Perišić put the home side 2–0 up just after half-time; David Brooks pulled a goal back for Wales, but they were unable to find an equaliser.[34] Three days later in Budapest, Máté Pátkai scored the only goal of the game in the 80th minute to give Hungary the victory.[35] In September 2019, Wales again had just one match, at home to Azerbaijan, and they took the lead in the 26th minute through an own goal from Pavel Pashayev. Mahir Emreli equalised for the visitors in the 59th minute, but Gareth Bale gave Wales the win with his first goal of the campaign six minutes from full time.[36]

October's fixtures began with a trip to Trnava to take on Slovakia, where Kieffer Moore gave Wales the lead in the 25th minute with his first international goal, only for Juraj Kucka to salvage a point for the hosts with a goal early in the second half.[37] Three days later, Wales hosted Croatia and went behind to an early goal from Nikola Vlašić; Bale equalised in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, but the second half went goalless and the match finished 1–1. That meant Wales went into the final two matches on eight points, four behind second-placed Hungary, and needing to win both to have a chance of qualifying automatically.[38] The first match was away against Azerbaijan on 16 November, where Wales managed a 2–0 win thanks to Moore and Harry Wilson. A place in the play-offs was already assured, but following Slovakia's 3–1 loss to Croatia, victory at home to Hungary in the final game on November 19 would assure automatic qualification.[39] Making his first international start for just over a year, Aaron Ramsey opened the scoring with less than a quarter of an hour played, before doubling Wales' lead just after half-time. The rest of the game went goalless and Wales won 2–0 to secure qualification for their second consecutive European Championship.[40]

Standings[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group E
Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Croatia Wales Slovakia Hungary Azerbaijan
1  Croatia 8 5 2 1 17 7 +10 17 Qualify for final tournament — 2–1 3–1 3–0 2–1
2  Wales 8 4 2 2 10 6 +4 14 1–1 — 1–0 2–0 2–1
3  Slovakia 8 4 1 3 13 11 +2 13 Advance to play-offs via Nations League 0–4 1–1 — 2–0 2–0
4  Hungary 8 4 0 4 8 11 −3 12 2–1 1–0 1–2 — 1–0
5  Azerbaijan 8 0 1 7 5 18 −13 1 1–1 0–2 1–5 1–3 —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Finals[]

Squad[]

Wales announced on 23 April 2021 that Rob Page would serve as manager for the tournament, after regular manager Ryan Giggs was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service.[41] The team announced a 28-man preliminary squad on 24 May.[42] The final squad was announced on 30 May.[43] James Lawrence withdrew injured and was replaced by Tom Lockyer on 31 May.[44]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Wayne Hennessey (1987-01-24)24 January 1987 (aged 34) 96 0 England Crystal Palace
2 2DF Chris Gunter (1989-07-21)21 July 1989 (aged 31) 101 0 England Charlton Athletic
3 2DF Neco Williams (2001-04-13)13 April 2001 (aged 20) 11 1 England Liverpool
4 2DF Ben Davies (1993-04-24)24 April 1993 (aged 28) 60 0 England Tottenham Hotspur
5 2DF Tom Lockyer (1994-12-03)3 December 1994 (aged 26) 13 0 England Luton Town
6 2DF Joe Rodon (1997-10-22)22 October 1997 (aged 23) 14 0 England Tottenham Hotspur
7 3MF Joe Allen (1990-03-14)14 March 1990 (aged 31) 59 2 England Stoke City
8 3MF Harry Wilson (1997-03-22)22 March 1997 (aged 24) 26 5 Wales Cardiff City
9 4FW Tyler Roberts (1999-01-12)12 January 1999 (aged 22) 14 0 England Leeds United
10 3MF Aaron Ramsey (1990-12-26)26 December 1990 (aged 30) 63 16 Italy Juventus
11 4FW Gareth Bale (captain) (1989-07-16)16 July 1989 (aged 31) 92 33 England Tottenham Hotspur
12 1GK Danny Ward (1993-06-22)22 June 1993 (aged 27) 13 0 England Leicester City
13 4FW Kieffer Moore (1992-08-08)8 August 1992 (aged 28) 17 5 Wales Cardiff City
14 2DF Connor Roberts (1995-09-23)23 September 1995 (aged 25) 26 1 Wales Swansea City
15 2DF Ethan Ampadu (2000-09-14)14 September 2000 (aged 20) 23 0 England Sheffield United
16 3MF Joe Morrell (1997-01-03)3 January 1997 (aged 24) 15 0 England Luton Town
17 2DF Rhys Norrington-Davies (1999-04-22)22 April 1999 (aged 22) 5 0 England Stoke City
18 3MF Jonny Williams (1993-10-09)9 October 1993 (aged 27) 28 1 Wales Cardiff City
19 3MF David Brooks (1997-07-08)8 July 1997 (aged 23) 18 2 England Bournemouth
20 3MF Daniel James (1997-11-10)10 November 1997 (aged 23) 20 4 England Manchester United
21 1GK Adam Davies (1992-07-17)17 July 1992 (aged 28) 2 0 England Stoke City
22 2DF Chris Mepham (1997-11-05)5 November 1997 (aged 23) 18 0 England Bournemouth
23 3MF Dylan Levitt (2000-11-17)17 November 2000 (aged 20) 8 0 Croatia Istra 1961
24 2DF Ben Cabango (2000-05-30)30 May 2000 (aged 21) 3 0 Wales Swansea City
25 3MF Rubin Colwill (2002-04-27)27 April 2002 (aged 19) 1 0 Wales Cardiff City
26 3MF Matthew Smith (1999-11-22)22 November 1999 (aged 21) 14 0 England Doncaster Rovers

Group stage[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2020 Group A

As in 2016, Wales' second-place finish in their qualifying group meant they avoided a play-off to reach Euro 2020; however, their UEFA coefficient meant they were again placed in Pot 4 for the finals draw in November 2019, along with Finland and the four play-off winners.[45] Wales were placed in Group A along with host nation Italy, as well as Switzerland and Turkey.[46]

Wales' schedule saw them given two games in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, which they made their team base for the tournament.[47] Due to the spread of COVID-19, which was declared a pandemic in March 2020, the tournament was ultimately delayed by a year to June and July 2021.[48] Wales played their first game against Switzerland in Baku on 12 June 2021; Breel Embolo opened the scoring for Switzerland early in the second half, but Kieffer Moore equalised for Wales with a header from a corner with just over 15 minutes to play. Mario Gavranović had the ball in the back of the net for Switzerland late on, but the goal was ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR), in use for the first time at a European Championship, and the match finished 1–1.[49] At the same venue four days later, they took on Turkey, who had lost 3–0 to Italy in the tournament's opening game. Aaron Ramsey gave Wales the lead just before half-time, when he beat the offside trap to collect a lobbed pass from Bale before rolling the ball past goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır. Bale had a chance to put Wales 2–0 up on the hour mark, when he was fouled in the penalty area, but he shot over the bar from the resulting penalty kick; however, right-back Connor Roberts did make it 2–0 in the fifth minute of injury time at the end of the game, following a short corner routine involving Wilson and Bale.[50]

The win put Wales in second place in the group, and their advantage of three points and five goals over third-placed Switzerland meant they could afford a loss to Italy in the third match and still qualify.[51] Italy were unbeaten in their last 29 games ahead of their meeting with Wales and had scored three goals in each of their first two matches at Euro 2020, having never previously done so at a European Championship,[52] and took the lead just over five minutes before half-time, when Matteo Pessina turned home a free kick from Marco Verratti. Wales midfielder Ethan Ampadu was sent off for a foul on Federico Bernardeschi 10 minutes into the second half, but Italy were unable to make the numerical advantage count and the game finished 1–0.[53] Meanwhile, Switzerland only managed a 3–1 win over Turkey, which meant Wales held onto second place in the group despite the defeat.[54]

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Italy (H) 3 3 0 0 7 0 +7 9 Advance to knockout phase
2  Wales 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 4[a]
3   Switzerland 3 1 1 1 4 5 −1 4[a]
4  Turkey 3 0 0 3 1 8 −7 0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Host
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Tied on head-to-head result (Wales 1–1 Switzerland). Overall goal difference was used as the tiebreaker.
Wales 1–1  Switzerland
 Report
  • Embolo 49'
Attendance: 8,782[55]
Referee: Clément Turpin (France)
Turkey 0–2 Wales
Report
Attendance: 19,762[56]
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (Portugal)
Italy 1–0 Wales
 Report
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Attendance: 11,541[57]

Knockout phase[]

Main article: UEFA Euro 2020 knockout phase

As the runners-up of Group A, Wales were paired with the runners-up of Group B, Denmark, in the round of 16.[58] The match was played in Amsterdam on 26 June; Kasper Dolberg put Denmark 1–0 up in the 27th minute, before doubling their lead just after half-time. Joakim Mæhle scored Denmark's third in the 88th minute, before being fouled by Harry Wilson in the 90th, which resulted in a red card for the Wales midfielder. Martin Braithwaite scored Denmark's fourth in the 94th minute to seal Wales' elimination from the tournament.[59]

Round of 16

Wales 0–4 Denmark
Report
Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam
Attendance: 14,645[60]
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)

Overall record[]

UEFA European Championship record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Did not enter Did not enter
Spain 1964 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 4
Italy 1968 6 1 2 3 6 12
Belgium 1972 6 2 1 3 5 6
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976 8 5 1 2 15 7
Italy 1980 6 3 0 3 11 8
France 1984 6 2 3 1 7 6
West Germany 1988 6 2 2 2 7 5
Sweden 1992 6 4 1 1 8 6
England 1996 10 2 2 6 9 19
Belgium Netherlands 2000 8 3 0 5 7 16
Portugal 2004 10 4 2 4 13 11
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 4 3 5 18 19
Poland Ukraine 2012 8 3 0 5 6 10
France 2016 Semi-finals 3rd/24 6 4 0 2 10 6 10 6 3 1 11 4
Europe 2020 Round of 16 16th/24 4 1 1 2 3 6 8 4 2 2 10 6
Germany 2024 To be determined To be determined
Total Best: Semi-finals 2/16 10 5 1 4 13 12 112 45 23 44 135 139
* Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
Wales' European Championship record
First match  Wales 2–1 Slovakia 
(Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; 11 June 2016)
Biggest win  Russia 0–3 Wales 
(Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France; 20 June 2016)
Biggest defeat  Wales 0–4 Denmark 
(Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 26 June 2021)
Best result Semi-finals at UEFA Euro 2016
Worst result Round of 16 at UEFA Euro 2020
Top goalscorer Gareth Bale, 3 (3 in 2016)

By opponent[]

UEFA European Championship matches
Opponents Wins Draws Losses Total
 Belgium 1 0 0 1
 Denmark 0 0 1 1
 England 0 0 1 1
 Italy 0 0 1 1
 Northern Ireland 1 0 0 1
 Portugal 0 0 1 1
 Russia 1 0 0 1
 Slovakia 1 0 0 1
  Switzerland 0 1 0 1
 Turkey 1 0 0 1

References[]

  1. ^ "Pots announced for EURO qualifying draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 November 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Euro 2016 qualifying draw: England face Switzerland and Slovenia". The Guardian. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  3. ^ Pitman, Mark (9 September 2014). "Bale double gives Wales opening win in Andorra". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  4. ^ Hart, Simon (10 October 2014). "Wales hold Bosnia and Herzegovina at bay". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Ten-man Wales hold on to see off Cyprus". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  6. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (16 November 2014). "Belgium 0-0 Wales". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  7. ^ Goren, Boaz (28 March 2015). "Superb Bale takes Wales above Israel". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  8. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (12 June 2015). "Wales 1-0 Belgium". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Cyprus 0-1 Wales". BBC Sport. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  10. ^ Hart, Simon (6 September 2015). "Stubborn Israel keep Wales waiting". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  11. ^ Krvavac, Fedja (10 October 2015). "Wales qualify despite Bosnia and Herzegovina loss". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  12. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (13 October 2015). "Wales 2-0 Andorra". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  13. ^ "2016 UEFA European Championship Statistics - Qualifying phase - Goals scored". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  14. ^ "Wales boss Chris Coleman names 29-man Euro training squad". BBC Sport. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Euro 2016: Wales' Joe Allen an injury doubt for Sweden". BBC Sport. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  16. ^ "Euro 2016: Wales include Joe Ledley in 23-man squad for Euro 2016". BBC Sport. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  17. ^ "EURO 2016 draw pots confirmed for 12 December". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  18. ^ "UEFA EURO 2016 finals draw made in Paris". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  19. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (11 June 2016). "Wales 2-1 Slovakia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  20. ^ McNulty, Phil (16 June 2016). "England 2-1 Wales". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  21. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (20 June 2016). "Russia 0-3 Wales". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  22. ^ "Full Time Summary – Wales v Slovakia" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  23. ^ "Full Time Summary – England v Wales" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  24. ^ "Full Time Summary – Russia v Wales" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  25. ^ "Wales 1-0 Northern Ireland". BBC Sport. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  26. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (1 July 2016). "Wales 3-1 Belgium". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  27. ^ McNulty, Phil (6 July 2016). "Portugal 2-0 Wales". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  28. ^ "Full Time Summary – Wales v Northern Ireland" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  29. ^ "Full Time Summary – Wales v Belgium" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  30. ^ "Full Time Summary – Portugal v Wales" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  31. ^ "EURO 2020 qualifying draw pots confirmed". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  32. ^ "UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying draw made in Dublin". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  33. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (24 March 2019). "Wales 1-0 Slovakia: Ryan Giggs' side begin qualifying campaign with win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  34. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (8 June 2019). "Croatia 2-1 Wales: Poor defending as Wales suffer first Euro 2020 qualifying defeat". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  35. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (11 June 2019). "Hungary 1-0 Wales: Mate Patkai goal puts hosts top of Group E". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  36. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (6 September 2019). "European Championship 2020 qualifier: Wales 2-1 Azerbaijan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  37. ^ Pearlman, Michael (10 October 2019). "Slovakia 1-1 Wales: Kieffer Moore goal keeps Wales' Euro 2020 hopes on track". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  38. ^ Pearlman, Michael (13 October 2019). "Wales 1-1 Croatia: Gareth Bale earns point in Euro 2020 qualifier". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  39. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (16 November 2019). "Azerbaijan 0-2 Wales: Moore & Wilson goals keep automatic Euro 2020 qualification alive". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  40. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (19 November 2019). "Wales 2-0 Hungary: Aaron Ramsey double sends Wales to Euros". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  41. ^ "FAW Statement". Football Association of Wales. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  42. ^ "Robert Page takes 28-player squad to Portugal training camp". Football Association of Wales. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  43. ^ "Euro 2020: Uncapped Rubin Colwill in Wales' European Championship squad". BBC Sport. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  44. ^ "Tom Lockyer called up to EURO 2020 squad". Football Association of Wales. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  45. ^ "UEFA EURO 2020 final tournament draw pots confirmed". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  46. ^ "UEFA EURO 2020 final tournament draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  47. ^ "EURO 2020: where will the teams be based?". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  48. ^ "Euro 2020 postponed until next summer". BBC Sport. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  49. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (12 June 2021). "Euro 2020: Kieffer Moore equalises for Wales against Switzerland in 1-1 Euro opener". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  50. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (16 June 2021). "Euro 2020: Wales 2-0 Turkey - Wales take huge step with thrilling win in Baku". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  51. ^ "Euro 2020: What do Wales need to reach last 16?". BBC Sport. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  52. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (16 June 2021). "Euro 2020: Italy 3-0 Switzerland - Manuel Locatelli scores twice in one-sided win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  53. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (20 June 2021). "Italy 1-0 Wales: Visitors through to last 16 despite defeat in Rome". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  54. ^ Dawkes, Phil (20 June 2021). "Switzerland 3-1 Turkey: Xherdan Shaqiri helps keep Swiss Euro 2020 hopes alive". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  55. ^ "Full Time Summary – Wales v Switzerland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  56. ^ "Full Time Summary – Turkey v Wales" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  57. ^ "Full Time Summary – Italy v Wales" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  58. ^ Sanders, Emma (21 June 2021). "Russia 1-4 Denmark: Danes to face Wales after emphatic and emotional victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  59. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (26 June 2021). "Euro 2020: Wales 0-4 Denmark - Wales knocked out as Danes cruise into last eight". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  60. ^ "Full Time Summary – Wales v Denmark" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 26 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
Retrieved from ""