Girls’ football festival celebrating Wales women’s historic Euro qualification

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A girls’ football festival, which was held to celebrate Wales women’s Euro 2025 qualification, has been hailed a success by council organisers.

Held at Ystrad Mynach’s Centre for Sporting Excellence in June, the festival brought together 120 girls from 12 primary schools for a day of activities.

Each school represented a different country, with a prize awarded to the team that embraced their nation’s identity with the most creativity.

Matches took place across two mini-pitches in a round-robin format, with support from Coleg y Cymoedd students who refereed and helped manage the day.

While there were trophies for player of the day, save of the day and goal of the day, every participant received a medal for taking part.

The day ended with a big group photo and a rousing cheer for Wales, capturing the spirit of celebration and pride felt throughout the event.

Councillor Chris Morgan, cabinet member for leisure, said: “This festival was a brilliant way to bring young people together to celebrate a huge milestone for women’s football in Wales.

“The enthusiasm and teamwork on show was fantastic, and events like this are a great example of how we can inspire the next generation to stay active and get involved in sport.”