Women's football in Wales hits major 20,000 milestone
Figures have revealed that more than 20,000 girls and women are now registered to play football in Wales - a major milestone for the Football Association of Wales.
New statistics released by the association have shown that over the past three years, participation in the female game has grown by 58 per cent - with a major increase between the ages of 14 and 17.
The record was initially targeted for 2026 - however it comes after an exciting year for the women's national team as they reached their first ever major finals.
Bethan Woolley, who is the FAW strategic lead for women and girls' football, said: "A lot of hard work, but we got there, it's fantastic news for us to be celebrating.
"When we launched the strategy back in 2021... we had less than 10,000 players.
"We really had to look strategically at how we wanted to achieve this, what was such an ambitious target at the time, and really focusing on what resource our clubs, our leagues needed, and how we can create national programmes that inspire girls and women of all ages from all different backgrounds to take up football.
"We've been doing extensive pieces of research with our partners at the Cymru Football Foundation to invest in facilities to make sure they're appropriate, first and foremost, for women and girls players.
"But also looking at prioritisation within clubs, ensuring that there's a voice that sits on a club committee that is coming from the female lens, understanding the needs and the desires of women and girls to be within those environments."
The news comes as Wales has a joint bid to host the 2035 Women's World Cup - and FAW chief executive Noel Mooney believes the figures are something for Welsh football to be proud of.
He said: "The growth we are witnessing is the result of aligned effort from the commitment of our clubs and volunteers, to the investment we have made in grassroots facilities and participation programmes, to the inspiration provided by our national teams,
"Our ambition is clear, to make football the most inclusive and accessible sport for women and girls in Wales, and to ensure that the pathway from grassroots to the international stage has never been stronger."
It has also been welcomed by national team manager Rhian Wilkinson, who said: "It's only the beginning, this is the first milestone and I'm so excited to have gotten there.
"The growth in the last few years is a testament to these women but equally to so many at the FAW who were here a long time before me, who've put everything in to make sure that our women are given equal opportunities and this is the first marker of that.