The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is reviewing the Adran Premier as it bids to improve domestic women’s football after the country’s participation at Euro 2025.
Euro 2025 was the first major women’s tournament that Wales qualified for in their history.
Rhian Wilkinson’s side crashed out of the group stage after they were pitted in a ‘group of death’ with England, France and the Netherlands.
Wales were defeated by all three sides at the tournament. This came as no surprise with England, France and the Netherlands among the established elite nations in women’s football.
Wales scored two goals and conceded 13 across the three games. Their heaviest defeat was a 6-1 loss to England, who went on to win the trophy on penalties against Spain.
Betting sites have already placed England as second-favourites behind Spain to win the trophy again at Euro 2029.
How the FAW plans to improve women’s football in Wales
The BBC have reported that the FAW has now begun a review into the Adran Premier as they attempt to improve women’s football in Wales and build on Euro 2025.
To do this, the FAW will offer insight into the “overall league quality of the Adran Premier, community and fan engagement and the current commercial landscape that the league sits within”.
Findings will then be presented in a “high-performance strategy” which the FAW plans to present next Spring.
FAW chief executive Noel Mooney admitted there is a long way to go for Welsh football to close the gap. He added that Wales are ‘decades behind’ top-tier nations in terms of investment.
The top-flight Adran Premier plus the second-tier Adran North and Adran South were introduced in 2021.
FAW chief executive insists Wales are ‘decades behind’ in terms of investment
FAW chief executive Noel Mooney admitted Wales are ‘decades behind’ in terms of investment for women’s football.
He told BBC Radio Wales after Euro 2025: “As an association, we’ve got a strategy here, Ein Cymru (Our Wales).
“The number one objective we had was to get to a major women’s international finals, which we achieved.
“If you’re going to go, you might as well play against the best in the world, and we did that.”
He added: “We’re decades behind in terms of investment. That’s what we’re doing here at the FAW. We’re here to catch up with countries who have put in tens and hundreds of millions of pounds into their game over a number of years.”
