Wales star Jess Fishlock retires from international football

The midfielder is Wales' all time record goalscorer

Wales' all time record goalscorer Jess Fishlock has announced she'll be retiring from international football.

The midfielder, who has score 48 goals for her country, will play her last international match against Australia in Cardiff on 25 October.

"After 19 years and the most incredible journey of proudly representing my country, I have made the decision that the match against Australia will be my last one in the red of Cymru," she said.

"From kicking my first ball with my brothers in Llanrumney, football has been in my blood.

"When I had my debut against Switzerland in Kloten in 2006, never did I imagine I would have the honour of representing my Cymru more than 150 times. Every minute was a pleasure, a privilege, and an honour."

After making her senior international debut against Switzerland in 2006, Fishlock went on to become the first male or female footballer to make 100 appearances for Wales in 2017.

She marked the huge milestone by scoring in a 3-1 win against Northern Ireland.

Fishlock also became her country's leading international scorer in July 2024, with her 45th goal in a 2-0 European Championship qualifying win against Kosovo.

Fishlock helped Wales qualify for their first major women's tournament

After helping Wales reach their first major women's tournament at the 2025 European Championship, Fishlock became the oldest-ever scorer in the women's competition against France, aged 38 years and 176 days.

"The Euros was the pinnacle of my football career, seeing the dragon on the world stage for the first time will be a memory that will stay with me for a lifetime," she said.

"To all the players and staff, past and present, diolch (thanks). It has been an incredible journey. The team has always felt like a family and after all the good and bad times, we finally achieved what we always dreamed of."

Jess Fishlock has played for a number of teams around the world throughout her career, including Seattle Reign FC in the United States

Since beginning her career at hometown club Cardiff, Fishlock has played at a number of clubs around the world including Glasgow City, Melbourne Victory in Australia, Seattle Reign in the United States, Frankfurt and Lyon.

She hopes female football will continue to grow in popularity in her home country.

"The journey the women's game in Wales has taken has been incredible and things can only continue to grow," she added.

"I see so many young girls playing football across Wales now, and the future is bright for our country.