The Athletic went to the town of Aberystwyth in search of a letter which was integral to the creation of Wales' women's national team

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As Wales' women belted out the anthem on the pitch, in the stands in Lucerne, the 4,000 travelling fans did too. One of those who caught the eye of the TV cameras was Dai Rees. One of those who found the whole experience a little overwhelming, he was caught wiping tears away from his eyes as the pre-match rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau finished.

The Seattle Reign midfielder is less a player in her home nation and more an irrepressible force of nature, the very reason Wales are in Switzerland in the first place. (In qualifying for the Euros, the 38-year-old was directly involved in nine goals — six goals, three assists — in 10 matches.)

Wales women's major tournament debut at Euro 2025 might not have gone the way they hoped, but the team are winning over fans with their unusual team photo, carrying on a tradition started by Gareth Bale and the men's team in 2016.

Vivianne Miedema helped the Netherlands to a 3-0 win over Wales on Saturday with her 100th international goal which gave the Dutch a positive start to their Women's Euro 2025 campaign.Victoria Pelova and Esmee Brugts netted the other goals after the break to give Wales a rude awakening in their major tournament debut.

Wales make their major tournament debuts as they take on Netherlands at Euro 2025. The Welsh are the lowest-ranked team at the Euros and have been drawn in a heavyweight group alongside holders England, 2017 champions Netherlands and France.

Forward Hannah Cain says Wales' rivalry with England adds an extra dimension to Sunday's key group D clash. England know a victory over Wales will take them to the quarter-finals of Euro 2025, with Wales' hopes of progressing resting on an improbable four goal victory over England and the Netherlands losing to France.