Wales Football Association chief executive Noel Mooney has firmly dismissed any prospect of Welsh involvement in a Team GB football squad for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, stating it is “not on our radar at all.”
Despite recent efforts by the British Olympic Association (BOA) to revive a men’s GB football team for the first time since the 2012 London Games, the Welsh FA is standing its ground.
“The Olympics is not on our radar at all, not at any level. I’ve not heard a single word about it and never discussed it with anybody. We want to focus on Cymru and what we do,” said Mooney, speaking to the PA news agency.
The BOA had expressed, after the Paris 2024 Games, their ambition to field a men’s side for LA 2028. It would mark the first time since Stuart Pearce’s team at London 2012, which featured five Welsh players, including current national boss Craig Bellamy.
Meanwhile, the women’s GB side last participated in Tokyo 2020, with ex-Wales captain Sophie Ingle part of the squad.
But longstanding concerns remain. Football authorities in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have repeatedly stressed fears that joining forces under one GB banner could compromise their independent statuses within FIFA and UEFA.
Aside from governance concerns, timing is another critical issue. The Olympic football tournament kicks off just before the LA 2028 opening ceremony (14–30 July), but more crucially, just days after Euro 2028 a competition jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland and mere weeks before the domestic season restarts.
Clubs may be reluctant to release players for Olympic duty, especially as the football calendar grows tighter each year.
“That [the Olympics] is somebody else’s work I guess, but our job is to make sure we represent ourselves in the right way. On and off the pitch, we make sure we represent Cymru the right way. That’s our complete focus.”
This reiteration of national focus underscores Wales’ stance: Olympic dreams for a unified GB football team may excite the BOA, but in Cardiff, the attention remains solely on building and strengthening the identity of Welsh football.
In Summary:
- Wales FA has no interest in joining a Team GB football squad for the 2028 Olympics.
- Fears over national identity and timing conflicts remain key issues.
- BOA will need to persuade all home nations, not just Wales, to move forward with any Olympic team plan.
As preparations ramp up for Euro 2028, it’s clear that for Wales, loyalty to Cymru isn’t just policy — it’s principle.
