Wales will return to Principality Stadium as Euros loom

Wales will return to playing at Cardiff's Principality Stadium in the build-up to Euro 2028.

Football Association of Wales (FAW) chief executive Noel Mooney confirmed the move to the home of Welsh rugby is on the cards.

Wales will co-host the Euros in three years' time alongside England, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

The 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium is set to stage six games – and is being tipped to be the venue for the opening fixture – with Wales guaranteed to play there should they qualify.

The men's national team have only played there once in 14 years, having adopted the smaller Cardiff City Stadium as their regular home.

Mooney says the FAW wants to ensure Wales benefit from "home advantage".

He said: "I think we will have to look at it. To do well at Euro 2028 we need to be used to that environment again, having not played there in a long time.

"Cardiff City Stadium will be our home, but we need – and will look forward to – playing there leading into 2028."

Mooney added hopes of more regular games in Wrexham as the Stok Cae Ras continues to be redeveloped by Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Work on a new Kop Stand, which will meet Uefa requirements and boost capacity to 18,000, is already under way.

The north Wales stadium – the world's oldest international ground still in use – is also set to be one of two venues put forward as part of a UK bid for the women's 2035 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Mooney confirmed the FAW is in talks with partners over a bid for the 2029 Women's Champions League final to be staged at the Principality Stadium.

The details emerged as part of a update on the state of the game in Wales before a new 10-year strategy to be launched next year.

It included a new study that claims football has strengthened its position as the nation's leading sport, and increased its lead over rugby union in terms of general interest and participation.

The Wales-wide research was carried out by insights company Nielsen as part of a development programme by European football's governing body Uefa.

The FAW says the study showed football is the leading sport played by children in the country, while interest in the men's and women's national sides are at all-time highs compared to previous studies.

Mooney said he would "let others decide" if football could lay claim to being Wales' national sport, but added: "The game is growing exponentially; we're ahead of targets on participation numbers and we are going in the right direction."

Mooney said continued investment into all levels of the game will form a key part of the FAW's future plans.

Following reforms of governance and structure in recent years, next year's strategy is set to focus on "high performance" and "grassroots".

That will include increasing recent investments into improving facilities and new funding for the domestic game, including a "long overdue" injection in the men's Cymru Premier and a financial boost for the women's Adran Premier "to capitalise on momentum".

Mooney accepts there will be a need to boost revenues to keep up with the investment plans, pointing to better relationships with partners, new sponsorship deals on the back of international success and plans to utilise the association's cash reserves.

"We don't budget to qualify for tournaments, but we have Euro 2028 coming here and we know that we are highly likely to play in it with the qualifying set-up, so it would be foolish not to plan on that basis," said Mooney.

"We have to battle complacency by investing wisely in the sport and the results will mean a bigger game in Wales.

"We've had good days, but there are much better days to come if we deliver on this new plan next summer."

By then, the FAW will also have made recommendations whether to move the grassroots game to the summer after beginning a consultation with member clubs.

While it has been long been a talking point at senior level, increasingly poor winter weather has forced a growing number of cancellations at junior and local level. Around 60% of games were lost last December and January.

"We have zero prejudice and will be led by the clubs as to what is best for the game," said Mooney of the plans. A recommendation is expected before Christmas.