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 19 November 2024
Rank Player Clubs[nb1] Wales career Caps Goals
1 Gareth Bale Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, Los Angeles FC 2006–2022 111 41
2 Chris Gunter Cardiff City, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Reading, Charlton Athletic 2007–2022 109 0
= Wayne Hennessey Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Nottingham Forest 2007– 109 0
4 Neville Southall Everton, Port Vale 1982–1998 92 0
= Ben Davies Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur 2012– 92 2
6 Ashley Williams Stockport County, Swansea City, Everton 2008–2019 86 2
= Aaron Ramsey Arsenal, Juventus, Rangers, Nice, Cardiff City 2008– 86 21
8 Gary Speed Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers 1990–2004 85 7
9 Craig Bellamy Norwich City, Coventry City, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, West Ham United, Manchester City, Cardiff City 1998–2013 78 19
10 Joe Ledley Cardiff City, Celtic, Crystal Palace, Derby County 2006–2018 77 4
11 Joe Allen Swansea City, Liverpool, Stoke City 2009–2024 76 2
12 Dean Saunders Oxford United, Derby County, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Benfica, Bradford City 1986–2001 75 22
13 Peter Nicholas Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Luton Town, Aberdeen, Chelsea 1979–1991 73 2
= Ian Rush Liverpool, Juventus 1980–1996 73 28
15 Mark Hughes Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Southampton 1984–1999 72 16
= Joey Jones Liverpool, Wrexham, Chelsea, Huddersfield Town 1975–1986 72 1

Top goalscorers

As of 19 November 2024
Rank Player Wales career Caps Goals Average
1 Gareth Bale (list) 2006–2022 111 41 0.37
2 Ian Rush (list) 1980–1996 73 28 0.38
3 Trevor Ford 1947–1957 38 23 0.61
= Ivor Allchurch 1951–1966 68 23 0.34
5 Dean Saunders 1986–2001 75 22 0.29
6 Aaron Ramsey 2008– 86 21 0.24
7 Craig Bellamy 1998–2013 78 19 0.24
8 Robert Earnshaw 2002–2012 58 16 0.28
= Cliff Jones 1954–1969 59 16 0.27
= Mark Hughes 1984–1999 72 16 0.22
11 John Charles 1950–1965 38 15 0.39

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: Rubin Colwill – 20 years and 216 days
  • Oldest player to play at World Cup finals: Wayne Hennessey – 35 years and 305 days
  • Youngest player to score a goal: Gareth Bale – 17 years and 83 days

Other

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

Goals

Hat-tricks

Main article: List of Wales national football team hat-tricks

International tournaments

FIFA World Cup

Main article: Wales at the FIFA World Cup
Qualification
Finals

UEFA European Championship

Main article: Wales at the UEFA European Championship
Finals

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

Opponent Pld W D L GF GA W% D% L%
 Albania 4 1 2 1 3 2 25 50 25
 Andorra 2 2 0 0 4 1 100 0 0
 Argentina 2 0 1 1 1 2 0 50 50
 Armenia 4 0 3 1 5 7 0 75 25
 Australia 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 100
 Austria 11 4 2 5 11 13 36.36 18.18 45.45
 Azerbaijan 8 7 1 0 15 2 87.5 12.5 0
 Belarus 7 6 0 1 16 8 85.71 14.29 0
 Belgium 17 5 5 7 24 24 29.41 29.41 41.18
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 0 2 2 2 6 0 50 50
 Brazil 10 1 1 8 5 20 10 10 80
 Bulgaria 10 5 1 4 6 8 50 10 40
 Canada 3 2 0 1 4 2 66.67 0 33.33
 Chile 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 100
 China 1 1 0 0 6 0 100 0 0
 Costa Rica 2 1 0 1 1 1 50 0 50
 Croatia 8 1 3 4 7 12 12.5 37.5 50
 Cyprus 7 5 0 2 10 6 71.43 0 28.57
 Czech Republic 6 1 4 1 5 5 16.67 66.67 16.67
 Czechoslovakia 12 3 3 6 10 15 25 25 50
 Denmark 11 4 0 7 9 16 36.36 0 63.64
 East Germany 4 1 0 3 7 8 25 0 75
 England 104 14 21 69 91 253 13.46 20.19 66.35
 Estonia 4 3 1 0 4 1 75 25 0
 Faroe Islands 2 2 0 0 9 0 100 0 0
 Finland 17 7 5 5 25 14 41.18 29.41 29.41
 France 5 1 1 3 4 14 20 20 60
 Georgia 5 1 1 3 3 9 20 20 60
 Germany 10 2 3 5 6 13 20 30 50
 Gibraltar 2 1 1 0 4 0 50 50 0
 Greece 2 1 0 1 4 3 50 0 50
 Hungary 12 6 2 4 17 15 50 16.67 33.33
 Iceland 9 6 2 1 19 8 66.67 22.22 11.11
 Iran 2 1 0 1 1 2 50 0 50
 Ireland 62 29 12 21 139 102 46.77 19.35 33.87
 Israel 6 3 3 0 10 3 50 50 0
 Italy 10 2 0 8 5 24 20 0 80
 Jamaica 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 100 0
 Japan 1 1 0 0 1 0 100 0 0
 Kuwait 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 100 0
 Latvia 3 3 0 0 5 0 100 0 0
 Liechtenstein 3 3 0 0 8 0 100 0 0
 Luxembourg 6 6 0 0 17 2 100 0 0
 Malta 4 4 0 0 15 2 100 0 0
 Mexico 5 1 2 2 3 5 20 40 40
 Moldova 4 3 0 1 9 3 75 0 25
 Montenegro 5 3 0 2 6 5 50 0 50
 Netherlands 10 0 0 10 8 29 0 0 100
 New Zealand 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 100 0
 North Macedonia 2 1 0 1 2 2 50 0 50
 Northern Ireland 35 16 12 7 52 31 45.71 34.29 20
 Norway 11 3 4 4 15 14 27.27 36.36 45.45
 Panama 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 100 0
 Paraguay 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 100 0
 Poland 11 1 3 7 6 13 9.09 27.27 63.64
 Portugal 4 1 0 3 4 9 25 0 75
 Qatar 1 1 0 0 1 0 100 0 0
 Republic of Ireland 19 8 5 6 19 18 42.11 26.32 31.58
 Rest of the United Kingdom 2 1 0 1 3 3 50 0 50
 Romania 5 1 1 3 7 9 20 20 60
 Russia 5 1 1 3 5 6 20 20 60
 San Marino 4 4 0 0 16 1 100 0 0
 Saudi Arabia 1 1 0 0 2 1 100 0 0
 Scotland 107 23 23 61 124 243 21.5 21.5 57.01
 Serbia 6 0 2 4 5 15 0 33.33 66.67
 Slovakia 6 3 1 2 10 13 50 20 33.33
 Slovenia 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 100 0
 South Korea 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 100 0
 Soviet Union 5 1 2 2 3 6 20 40 40
 Spain 6 1 2 3 7 11 16.67 33.33 50
 Sweden 7 0 1 6 3 16 0 14.29 85.71
  Switzerland 8 2 1 5 7 17 25 12.5 62.5
 Trinidad and Tobago 2 2 0 0 3 1 100 0 0
 Tunisia 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 100
 Turkey 11 4 4 3 13 10 36.36 36.36 27.27
 Ukraine 4 1 2 1 3 3 25 50 25
 Uruguay 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 50 50
 United States 3 0 2 1 1 3 0 66.67 33.33
 Yugoslavia 7 0 3 4 10 18 0 42.86 57.14
 West Germany 7 0 3 4 4 13 0 42.86 57.14
Totals 718 229 164 325 891 1150 31.89 22.84 45.26

P – Played; W – Won; D – Drawn; L – Lost
Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches only
Up to date as of 19 November 2024

By decade

Decade Pld W D L GF GA GD W% D% L%
1870s 5 0 0 5 1 20 −19 0 0 100
1880s 28 8 3 17 60 82 −22 28.57 10.71 60.71
1890s 30 3 5 22 43 112 −69 10 16.67 73.33
1900s 30 8 8 14 37 60 −23 26.67 26.67 46.67
1910s 15 3 3 9 15 23 −8 20 20 60
1920s 32 9 10 13 42 61 −19 28.13 31.25 40.63
1930s 30 13 5 12 54 60 −6 43.33 16.67 40
1940s 15 5 0 10 20 31 −11 33.33 0 66.67
1950s 49 14 14 21 66 91 −25 28.57 28.57 42.86
1960s 54 12 9 33 74 108 −34 22.22 16.67 61.11
1970s 65 20 18 27 60 67 −7 30.77 27.69 41.54
1980s 68 24 19 25 80 72 8 35.29 27.94 36.76
1990s 67 24 10 33 79 109 −30 35.82 14.93 49.25
2000s 89 32 23 34 101 97 4 35.96 25.84 38.2
2010s 85 34 16 35 95 96 −1 40 18.82 41.18
2020s 56 21 20 15 63 59 4 37.5 35.71 26.79
Overall 718 230 163 325 889 1149 −258 32.03 22.7 45.26

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 19 November 2024

Notes

  1. nb1 Only clubs played for while receiving caps are listed.

See also

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