“It’s not the goals, it’s not the wins. It’s watching our nation grow behind us.”
Not many players in women’s soccer can claim to perfectly epitomize their countries, but surely, Welsh midfielder Jessica Fishlock can be included in that select group. There may be no better example than when the trail-blazing midfielder announced her retirement from the international stage on October 15 to a massive reaction from the women’s soccer world.
“I just wanted to be able to leave Wales knowing that we were competitive, we had the right pathways and we would be able to carry on competing,” Fishlock said.
Fishlock’s love of the beautiful game began at seven years old, when her parents sent her and her sister to a soccer camp. Little did they know the experience would spark a lifelong passion that would take their daughter all over the world and create her own legacy in the sport.
“I got there and I just fell in love with soccer,” Fishlock said. “By the end of that week, I signed up with the only women’s team that was in Cardiff, and I stayed with them and trained with them twice a week ever since.”
The Welsh set her mind on America because she knew it was where soccer was at. But Fishlock knew it would be a difficult goal to achieve. After all, it was the 90s and traveling to America was all but a dream for a kid from Wales.
Fishlock’s love for the game led her to make the life-changing decision to drop out of school at the age of 16 to bet on her soccer career.
“I didn’t know how I was going to get (to the United States),” Fishlock said. “I didn’t even know if it was possible. But I was playing and training. I was working full-time at 16, 17 (years old), at 8 a.m., at 5 p.m. till 5 a.m. I’d get up early, train, go to work, train in the evening… just doing what you have to do at the end of the day.”
Looking back now, it’s easy to see just how much that sacrifice paid off. Fishlock broke through while with the Welsh national team, and due to rules preventing her from playing a competitive club match until the age of 16, Fishlock fully committed to representing Wales.
“That’s why my national team means so much to me,” Fishlock said. “They were there before my club.”
In 2017, Fishlock crossed 100 caps with the Wales Women’s National Team and in 2024, 150 caps. In doing so, she became the first player, male or female, to reach either mark for the Welsh.
Then came the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. Manager Gemma Grainger quit one week before the qualifier’s draw and the odds for qualification didn’t look good for Cymru. That’s when Fishlock led with fire.
After topping the qualification group, Wales won the two-leg semifinal against Slovakia. Adding to her legacy, Fishlock found the back of the net to become her nation’s record goal-scorer.
A 1-1 draw in the final’s first leg against Ireland left everything to play for. Wales went two goals up, but as the clock ticked down, Ireland clawed one back. The eight minutes of stoppage time felt endless as Ireland poured on everything they had. A goal-line save and countless chances for Ireland later, the whistle blew. Wales held on and made history.
“This was all I really wanted,” Fishlock said. “To get into a Euros and everything else was just icing on the cake for me personally. I’ve played with some of these girls for 15 years and being able to achieve and experience it with them is the most special feeling ever.”
But sports can also be a fickle thing. As a reward for its history-making qualifying campaign, Wales was placed into a group with France, England and the Netherlands, three perennial contenders for World Cups and Euro titles.
“We had an awful group, let’s just be honest,” Fishlock said. “But for me was also perfect, because we got to play at the very best of the very best.”
Against France, Fishlock wrote her name in her country’s record books once again, becoming the first Welsh player to score in a major tournament.
“Being there with family, getting a cheeky little goal, was a fantastic feeling,” Fishlock said.
On October 15, 165 caps and 48 goals after making her international debut, Fishlock decided it was time to let others take the mantle.
“What Jess has done for Wales and the Welsh women’s football team is unprecedented,” Seattle Reign head coach Laura Harvey said. Her commitment, her passion, how patriotic she is to do that. It couldn’t have signed off any better for (Fishlock).”
Added Wales national team manager Rhian Wilkinson: “(Fishlock) is a generational player who has given everything for her country. She has been recognized worldwide, which is appropriate for how much she’s loved playing for Wales and how much she’s given to do that.”
Records broken aside, for Fishlock, her career has never been about the goals or the wins, but about watching the nation of Wales grow behind the team.
Although Wales hasn’t been a nation you might associate with soccer, the midfielder changed that outlook. Now, when you think about woso G.O.A.T.s, you think of Jessica Fishlock.
“It’s bittersweet because I always thought that I would retire from (both club and country at the same time),” Fishlock said. “I could never imagine being able to play and not play for my country. But I think, given everything, timing, it’s the start of a new journey for (Wales) and I just didn’t think that I could commit to that. And so I’m really looking forward to obviously supporting Wales, but being able to have some more rest.”
