Wales is the lowest-ranked country in the Euros and 30th in the world. Still, they have fans. In their first match, they reported having 3,800 fans compared to the Dutch's 3,000. This might not seem much of a difference, but access to Switzerland and pricing and Wales being a lower-income country show how much they back their nation.
They started to qualify for the euros in 1995 and 30 tears on them have finally made it.
After topping their group they went into the playoffs and won 3-2 on aggregate against both Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland and won in Ireland.
They had large crowds with a record attendance in Cardiff of 16,800.
Since 2016 there has been a record of young female players from just 6,000 to 18,000 in late 2024.
While their manager is Canadian she is of welsh descent and even has a welsh first name Rhin Wilkinson, their skipper Angharad James has 132 caps to her name and their all-time Jess Fishlock has made it too.
Poland made their first Euros in their history after never even reaching previous play-offs by defeating Austria 2-0 in aggregate in December 2024.
Poland launched a “Time for Us” strategy in 2022 which was a development programme and over 3,00 girls and 300+ coaches joined and they created a new women’s department that supports the national team and will host major youth tournaments.
Ewa Pajor, Bundesliga title‑holder and 2022 Champions League top scorer, sealed qualification—she now plays for Barcelona and leads Group C alongside Germany, Sweden, and Denmark.
Poland has a strong infrastructure and star players, the task is to prove their qualification is more than a one-shot triumph—they aim to build a sustaining presence.
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