With the rescheduling of Euro 2020 to next year due to the Covid19 pandemic, Uefa confirmed that the Women’s Euro 2021 championships will now be played in England from 6 July to 31 July 2022.
It plans to use the same venues that were originally proposed to host the event, with Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin saying: “When we had to take an urgent decision on the postponement of Uefa Euro 2020, we always had the impact on Uefa Women’s Euro 2021 in mind. We have carefully considered all options, with our commitment to the growth of women’s football at the forefront of our thinking.
“By moving Uefa Women’s Euro to the following year, we are ensuring that our flagship women’s competition will be the only major football tournament of the summer, providing it with the spotlight it deserves.”
Uefa’s chief of women’s football, Nadine Kessler, said: “The core question guiding us together with the English FA was: What is best for women’s football? With the Olympics now being confirmed for summer 2021, we firmly believe that moving to 2022 is in the best interests of the tournament, the players, the fans, women’s football partners and everybody involved in all areas and at all levels of the game. Uefa Women’s Euro is Europe’s biggest women’s sport event. It is also among the biggest sports events in the world, and therefore needs and deserves a platform of its own.
“This decision puts us in a position to deliver a tournament that attracts global attention, maximises media coverage and increases stadium attendances, and is therefore helping us to meet our core objective of inspiring the next generation of footballers.”
Wales are currently in second place in qualifying Group C, four points behind leaders Norway.
The nine group winners are assured of a place at Euro 2022, alongside hosts England, leaving six further places up for grabs, three going to the runners-up with the best record against the sides first, third, fourth and fifth in their section.
The nine qualifying groups are comprised of five or six teams, with the remaining six runners-up playing off for the three remaining slots.
Wales are paired with the Norwegians, Belarus, Northern Ireland and the Faroe Islands.
Norway have four wins out of four, with Wales four points behind after being held to a draw for the second time in the group by Northern Ireland.
The qualifying campaign resumes in the autumn when Wales travel to Norway on 22 September, ahead of a home tie against the Faroe Islands on 22 October, followed by the return match against Norway three days later.
Wales’ final group game will be at home against Belarus on 1 December.
Wales’ Remaining Group C Fixtures
22 September: Norway v Wales
22 October: Wales v Faroe Islands
27 October: Wales v Norway
1 December: Wales v Belarus
