Wales Return To World’s Oldest Football Stadium In Wrexham To Face Gibraltar

The fairytale surrounding Wrexham’s return to the Football League will continue on October 11 when the Welsh men’s national team host Gibraltar at the Racecourse Ground.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 International football will head to north Wales in October when @Cymru will face Gibraltar at the Cae Ras.#TogetherStronger

— FA WALES (@FAWales) July 21, 2023

American acting stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the club back in February 2021 when it was languishing in non-league football. What can only be described as a Hollywood fairytale ensued.

Although their League Two stadium is currently under renovation, the new 5,500-seat ‘Kop’ terrace will not be finished in time for the ‘International Challenge Match’ on October 11. Once completed, it will boost the capacity to around 15,600.

See you in October at @Wrexham_AFC

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🆚🇬🇮 https://t.co/ymVOZiBCqi

— Gibraltar FA (@GibraltarFA) July 21, 2023

Wales have previously played a total of 94 international matches at the tiny North Wales football ground but the Gibraltar game will be the first one to be staged at the Racecourse Ground since 2019.

Wrexham’s stadium is the world’s oldest to be still in use for international football. It first staged a Wales game in 1877 and subsequently hosted every home match involving the national side until 1890.

Wales will play Gibraltar four days after a Euro 2024 qualifier

October’s match will take place just four days after Rob Page’s side takes on Latvia away in a Euro 2024 qualifier.

In a statement released by the FAW, its president Steve Williams said: ‘I’m hopeful this opens the door for further matches to take place in Wrexham across all our national teams and age groups, including our UEFA U19 Euro finals bid for 2026 to celebrate our 150th anniversary’.

‘We are very excited to be bringing international football back to the north in October. Members of the Red Wall in the area make an incredible commitment when travelling to the Cardiff City Stadium for our home qualifiers, and hopefully, we can give a performance to be proud of against Gibraltar’, added the FAW CEO Noel Mooney.

FAW President Steve Williams spoke of his delight at the announcement. ‘Being born and bred in the Wrexham area, I am incredibly proud to see Cymru returning to the oldest international football stadium in the world’, he rejoiced.