Wales considering name change after World Cup tournament in Qatar

Wales are considering changing their name after the 2022 World Cup and have already held discussions with UEFA, reports say.

Rob Page's side are taking part in the footballing showpiece for the first time in 64 years after qualifying through the play-offs.

They beat Austria in the semi-final courtesy of a superb brace from their talisman and captain Gareth Bale and then did the business against Ukraine in Cardiff in June.

Wales' last appearance in the World Cup finals was in 1958 in Sweden and they have been placed in Group B alongside England, Iran and the United States.

But it could be the last time we see them in their current form on the international stage. According to the Press Association, as per the Daily Mail, Wales are looking into the possibility of being called 'Cymru' globally going forward.

Cymru is the Welsh name widely used in the country and its footballing headquarters, but Wales is the name utilised by the rest of the world.

Image: Alamy

A decision won't be made without consulting key figures but relaxed, informal discussions with UEFA over the change have taken place.

"The team should always be called Cymru, that's what we call it here," FAW chief executive Noel Mooney said.

"Our view at the moment is that domestically we're clearly called Cymru. That's what we call our national teams.

"If you look at our website, how we talk about ourselves, we are very much Cymru.

"Internationally we feel we have a bit more work to do yet. So we are going to this World Cup as Wales.

"But I think 2023 will be a year when we have a good discussion with all the different stakeholders - whether that [is] Governments, our own boards, councils and decision-making bodies, staff, club and players."

Alphabetically, Wales are the very last nation of the 55 UEFA association members and that would of course change drastically if they switched to Cymru.

Image: Alamy

If it does go through, they would be following the precedent set by Turkey, who are now going by 'Turkiye', and are in Wales' Euro 2024 qualifying group.

Topics: Wales, Football World Cup, Gareth Bale

Josh Lawless

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