The international break is once again upon us Premier League fans and this time it is Wales that are being put under the spotlight. The Welsh team have never qualified for a European Championships finals game, and haven’t been to a World Cup since 1958, but could Euro 2016 be their next challenge?
Handed a group where only one of the competitors have been to the Euro’s before – Belgium – Wales have every chance of getting through to the finals by finishing in second place.
"Qualifying FormatThe qualifying round, featuring a record field of 53 nations, is made up of nine groups of five or six teams, who contest home and away fixtures. The nine group winners, the nine group runners-up and the best third-placed side will qualify directly for the final tournament. The eight remaining third-placed teams will contest play-offs to determine the last four qualifiers for the finals."
Who Do Wales Play?
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina made their UEFA European Championship debut with a 1-0 win against the Faroe Islands in August 1998. They have twice been in sight of a finals place, drawing against Denmark in their final UEFA EURO 2004 qualifying game when a win would have sent Blaž Slišković’s team to the finals, and losing to Portugal in the play-offs eight years later.
Belgium
Belgium ended a 12-year absence from major tournaments with an impressive qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but it is now three decades since they last qualified for the UEFA European Championship although they finished third on home soil in 1972 and eight years later lost the Rome final 2-1 to a late West Germany goal.
Israel
Their best effort in the UEFA European Championship came en route to the 2000 tournament, when they reached the play-offs only to be defeated 8-0 on aggregate by Denmark.
Cyprus
Although Cyprus have won only 12 of their 95 UEFA European Championship fixtures, they have enjoyed some famous upsets, including a 3-2 win against Spain on the road to UEFA EURO 2000 and a 5-2 victory against the Republic of Ireland in UEFA EURO 2008 qualification.
Andorra
Andorra have played 40 UEFA European Championship qualifiers and lost them all, scoring seven goals and conceding 113. Their sole competitive win was a 2-1 defeat of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when they collected five points overall.
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Who Are Wales’ Best Players?
Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale is Wales’ best player, and is probably the best player that the Welsh nation has ever seen and ever likely to see. Born in Cardiff, the Real Madrid star moved from Tottenham in the summer of 2013 for nearly £100m becoming the most expensive football player in the World. A lot of pressure is resting on him and many expect him to be able to single-handedly take Wales to the finals.
Aaron Ramsey
Although currently injured, Aaron Ramsey will be instrumental in the midfield for Wales after he returns. He became the youngest ever Wales captain when he was appointed at just 20-years old but that was taken off him after just four games because manager Chris Coleman claimed “he felt the pressure of it”. Despite this, he is slowly becoming one of the best central midfielders Wales will ever see.
Ashley Williams
Currently Swansea City’s go to defender, Ashley Williams is also a regular in the Welsh national team. With the ability to hold is own at the back as well as go forward when required, it seems Williams has it all. His leadership qualities meant he took over as Wales captain from Ramsey and he is set to make a big difference in some of the team’s big matches.