Jess Fishlock, the trailblazing midfielder and Wales' most capped player, will bring her near 20-year international career to a close on Saturday at the age of 38. She will make her 166th and final appearance for Wales against Australia, marking the end of a storied journey that saw her lead her nation to their first major tournament.
Fishlock announced her decision after the Euros, stating it was not made lightly. 'In the end, I just felt that I wouldn’t be able to commit to the cycles as much as I have in the past,' she told Welsh media. 'If I commit to something, I like to commit to it full throttle, and I just felt like I couldn’t really do that.'
Since her debut against Switzerland in 2006, Fishlock has been the heartbeat of the team. Her former teammate Helen Ward described her as impossible to sum up in a few words: 'For the entirety of my 15-year Wales career, Jess was at the heart of it all. She was always the go-to player and person.'
Fishlock will end her career as Wales' record appearance holder and goalscorer, a five-time Welsh footballer of the year, and a key figure in their historic Euro 2025 qualification campaign. She fittingly scored Wales' first goal at a major tournament.
Off the pitch, Fishlock's influence is equally significant. She has been a vocal advocate for investment and visibility in women's football, and her work for the LGBTQ+ community earned her an MBE in 2018. Ward added: 'She’s just an icon for the country. She wants to do things right.'
