Wales football manager Gemma Grainger has extended her Football Association of Wales contract by two years to take in the 2027 World Cup, it has been announced.
Appointed in March 2021, former Lionesses assistant coach Grainger will take charge of both the Euro 2025 and 2027 World Cup qualifying campaigns.
Grainger guided Wales Women to a historic World Cup play-off final in 2022 in her first competitive campaign in charge, their furthest in their bid to qualify for a first major tournament, but a last-minute goal from Switzerland in extra-time ultimately ended Wales' World Cup dream.
The campaign can still be deemed a success, however, with public interest in the team exploding over the campaign, most notably demonstrated by a record crowd of 15,200 fans turning up to watch Wales' World Cup play-off semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Cardiff City Stadium in October 2022 — a big jump from 1,700 supporters turning out for the first game of the campaign 13 months earlier.
Grainger inherited an ageing squad from predecessor Jayne Ludlow but succeeded in growing player depth while integrating a more attack-focused gameplan. Wales Women kick off the new year by returning to Spain to take part in the Pinatar Cup, where they will face the Philippines, Iceland and Scotland in February. With the World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand in July and August, Wales will have to wait for the spring of 2024 to resume competitive action, when their 2025 Euro qualifiers begin. It remains to be seen just how much of a squad overhaul will take place, given stalwarts like Jess Fishlock and Helen Ward will be 38 and 39 respectively should Wales qualify for their first major women's tournament in 2025.
Grainger said of her contract extension: "I’m delighted to have signed a new contract and extend my journey working with this special group of players. I’m an ambitious coach, these players are ambitious and the FAW are ambitious, so all those things are a great match. We want to drive our progress and momentum from the last qualifying campaign, both on and off the pitch, and take that forward into the new year and the next two qualifying campaigns."
FAW chief executive Noel Mooney said: "We have made huge strides with the women’s national team and our focus now is firmly on qualifying for UEFA Euro 2025 and the 2027 FIFA World Cup. This group has captured the imagination of the Welsh public and we have no doubt they will break new glass ceilings for Welsh football in the coming years."
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