Wales national football team records and statistics

This page details Wales national football team records; the most capped players, the players with the most goals, Wales's match record by opponent and decade.

Player records

Most capped players

As of 26 March 2024

Top goalscorers

As of 26 March 2024

Age records

• Youngest player to make debut: Harry Wilson – 16 years and 207 days
• Oldest player to play a game: Billy Meredith – 45 years and 229 days
• Youngest player to play at World Cup finals: Roy Vernon – 21 years and 42 days
• Oldest player to play at World Cup finals: Dave Bowen – 30 years and 1 day
• Youngest player to score a goal: Gareth Bale – 17 years and 83 days

Other

• Longest serving player: Billy Meredith – 25 years (1895–1920)

Games and results

Firsts

• First International: 26 March 1876 vs  Scotland
• First home international: 5 March 1877 vs  Scotland
• First win: 26 February 1881 vs  England
• First overseas opponent:  France, 25 May 1933
• First win over an overseas opponent: 23 November 1949 vs  Belgium

Biggest

• Biggest Win: 11–0 vs  Ireland, 3 March 1888
• Biggest Loss: 0–9 vs  Scotland, 23 March 1878

Longest

• Longest winning streak: 6, 2 June 1980 – 16 May 1981
• Longest losing streak: 5, 25 March 1876 – 27 March 1880

Goals

• First Welsh goal: William Davies, 18 January 1879 vs  England
• Youngest player to score: Gareth Bale – 17 years and 83 days, 7 October 2006 v  Slovakia
• Most goals scored in one game by a player: 4
  • John Price, 12 Feb 1882 vs  Ireland
  • Jack Doughty, 3 Mar 1888 vs  Ireland
  • Mel Charles, 11 Apr 1962 vs  Northern Ireland
  • Ian Edwards, 25 October 1978 vs  Malta

Hat-tricks

• First hat-trick: John Price, 12 February 1882 vs  Ireland

International tournaments

FIFA World Cup

Qualification

• First match: 15 October 1949 vs  England
• First goal: Mal Griffiths vs  England, 15 October 1949

Finals

• First finals: Sweden 1958
• Total number of times qualified for the finals: 2 (1958, 2022)
• First game: 8 June 1958 vs  Hungary
• First goal: John Charles vs  Hungary, 8 June 1958
• Most successful finals: 1958 – Quarter-finals
• World Cup top goalscorer: 2
  • Ivor Allchurch (1958)

UEFA European Championship

Finals

• First finals: France 2016
• Total number of times qualified for the finals: 2 (2016, 2020)
• First game: 11 June 2016 vs  Slovakia
• First goal: Gareth Bale vs  Slovakia, 11 June 2016
• Most successful finals: 2016 – Semi-finals
• European Championship top goalscorer: 3
  • Gareth Bale (2016)

Rankings

• Highest FIFA Rank: 8 (October 2015)
• Lowest FIFA Rank: 117 (August 2011)
• Highest Elo Rank: 3 (1876–1885)
• Lowest Elo Rank: 75 (September 2000)

Team records

Head to head

P – Played; W – Won; D – Drawn; L – Lost
Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only
Up to date as of 26 March 2024

By decade

P – Played, W – Won, D – Drawn, L – Lost, GF – Goals For, GA – Goals Against, GD – Goal Difference
Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only
Up to date as of 26 March 2024

Notes

See also

• British Home Championship
• 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification
• 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification
• 1958 FIFA World Cup

References

Bibliography

• Hayes, Dean P. (1994). Wales: The Complete Who's Who of Footballers Since 1946. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3700-9.
• Oliver, Guy (1992). The Guinness Record of World Soccer. Guinness. ISBN 0-85112-954-4.

Notes

External links

• RSSSF: Wales – International Results

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