FAW cools talk of Team GB football at 2028 Olympics

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has “never discussed” nan anticipation of Great Britain entering a men’s shot squad for nan 2028 Olympics, says main executive Noel Mooney.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) said earlier this period it wanted to merge England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland successful fielding a first Team GB men's broadside since London 2012.

That squad featured 5 Welshmen, including Wales’ existent head Craig Bellamy and skipper Aaron Ramsey.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland person historically been against a unified team.

“We've not heard thing straight ourselves astir this Team GB concept, and we've ne'er discussed it here,” Mooney told BBC Sport Wales.

“We're a shot nation. We're going to tournaments now regularly. We expect to spell to tournaments and our attraction is very overmuch present connected Wales playing astatine tournaments. That's our focus.

“I've heard thing astir it isolated from what I've heard successful nan media. We've not discussed it present but, if location is simply a discussion, our stance very overmuch is that we attraction connected our nationalist squad playing retired successful nan world.”

The Team GB women's squad are eligible for qualification, but did not suffice for Paris 2024.

In men’s football, Great Britain had been Olympic regulars until 1960 and, having grounded to suffice for nan adjacent 3 Games, they decided not to participate a team.

There was past guidance from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who felt their independency successful Fifa and Uefa competitions could beryllium jeopardised if they competed arsenic a azygous entity astatine nan Olympics.

They reached a discuss for nan 2012 Games that they would not guidelines successful nan measurement of immoderate players selected for Team GB nether nan information that it would beryllium a one-off, but nan BOA’s comments person rekindled nan arguable debate.

Speaking aft nan Paris Olympics earlier this month, BOA main executive Andy Anson said a Team GB men's broadside astatine nan Los Angeles Games successful 4 years would beryllium "brilliant for football".

A squad featuring 13 English and 5 Welsh players – pinch Joe Allen, Neil Taylor and Ryan Giggs nan different Welshmen progressive – competed astatine nan London Olympics successful 2012, contempt nan FAW opposing nan plans 7 years earlier.

At that point, Wales had not played astatine a awesome tourney since nan 1958 World Cup but they person subsequently qualified for 2 European Championships and a World Cup.

When past England head Sam Allardyce raised nan imaginable of doing it again successful 2016, his Wales counterpart astatine nan clip Chris Coleman dismissed nan idea.

On that occasion, England's Football Association had put guardant nan thought of sending Great Britain teams to nan Olympics, but Fifa said it would request nan statement of nan ruling bodies successful Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who were against it.

In summation to nan nations, nan BOA's plans to section a Team GB men's broadside astatine nan 2028 Olympics could besides look guidance from clubs, who whitethorn not beryllium keen to merchandise their players successful a congested summertime period.

The Los Angeles Games will return spot betwixt 14-30 July, conscionable days aft nan Euro 2028 last astatine Wembley and a fewer weeks earlier nan commencement of nan caller convention season.