Craig Bellamy: Wales boss was right to speak to Burnley – David Adams

Adams described the news that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium will host the women’s Champions League final in 2029 as a “game-changer” for the nation.

Cardiff City Stadium hosted the event in 2017 in the same year the men’s final was played at Principality Stadium – known as National Stadium of Wales for Uefa events due to sponsorship rules.

“It’s absolutely incredible, a game-changer for us,” he said.

“You’ve seen the growth in the women’s game. When I first came into the job, we were getting maybe 1,000 people at Rodney Parade for women’s games.

“We got 15,000 at Cardiff City Stadium in this last campaign, so you can see the growth and how quickly the game is moving.”

Adams says young females seeing role models play at the home of Cardiff City and Principality Stadium is “just inspirational for those players”.

Wales’ women’s side qualified for a major tournament for the first time under Rhian Wilkinson as they reached Euro 2025 in Switzerland.

They are now aiming to secure a spot at a World Cup for the first time and continue their 2027 qualification bid with a double header against Albania in October.

Further down the line, the 2035 women’s World Cup will be held in the United Kingdom, with England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all due to host matches for the global showpiece.

With Wales bidding to qualify and be competitive at the tournament in future, FAW chiefs remain determined to strengthen their player pool.

Despite the huge progress made in recent years, Adams feels the governing body still has plenty of work to do.

“Our goal is to create a pathway, which hasn’t been there for women’s football, where girls can actually play in a talent system which prepares them to play in tournament football on a consistent basis,” he said.

“I don’t think we’re there yet, personally. I think what we’ve done in the last three years is fantastic, with the girls’ regional programme.

“But now we’ve got to try and make sure the girls graduate out of that system and play in the top leagues across Europe.

“That’s what gives you the best chance of qualifying consistently for major tournaments.”