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Wrexham women make history with landmark Champions League win

Sports Illustrated · Jul 22, 2026 20:05 · 4 min read

Wrexham Women Make History With Landmark Champions League Win

The Red Dragons came from behind to defeat FC Pyunik at the Racecourse Ground on Wednesday night.

Wrexham Women made history on Wednesday night as they came from behind to defeat FC Pyunik 4–2 in an epic UEFA Women’s Champions League first qualifying round semifinal.

The Red Dragons became the first Welsh women’s team ever to win a European match thanks to goals from Katie Barker, Lili Jones and Ava Suckley.

Jenny Sugarman’s side has enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years but faced a daunting challenge against the Armenian champions, who are a full-time professional outfit compared to Wrexham's current semi-professional squad.

Played at a relentless pace from the opening whistle, Pyunik struck first when Susanna Badalyan capitalized on a poor clearance from Liz Craven, lobbing the Wrexham goalkeeper from distance. It was an error that threatened to undo the hosts’ bright start, but teams don’t qualify for the Champions League without possessing the resilience to overcome adversity.

Wrexham responded just two minutes later. Faye Knox burst down the left flank and tore through the Pyunik defense before pulling the ball back for Barker, who emphatically fired home to level the score.

It was the first goal scored by a Welsh women’s team in European competition in six years, but Wrexham were far from finished. Josie Smith headed narrowly wide from a corner, while Barker and Sarah Harvey both saw efforts blocked as the teams went into halftime level.

Pyunik had won every league match on their way to the Armenian title last season, and there was a sense at the break that Wrexham might regret failing to capitalize on their first-half opportunities. Those concerns disappeared just five minutes into the second half.

Jones is Wrexham through and through and has witnessed countless memorable moments following the club. Even so, she will have seen few goals better than her breathtaking strike from a tight angle. Spotting the goalkeeper off her line, she delicately lifted the ball over her, watching it kiss the underside of the crossbar before nestling into the back of the net.

Things got even better moments later. Another flowing move down the right saw Jones beat her defender with a sharp drop of the shoulder before drilling a low cross into the penalty area, where fellow local girl Suckley bundled the ball home to extend Wrexham’s lead.

Ava Suckley of AFC Wrexham celebrates scoring her team's third goal. — It was a special night for local girl Suckley as she scored the third goal. | Jess Hornby/Getty Images

The Red Dragons were in dreamland, but it wouldn’t be Wrexham without a healthy dose of drama. Moments later, Pyunik pulled one back through a spectacular strike from Luiza Ghazaryan, who rifled an unstoppable effort into the top corner from distance to set up a frantic final half-hour at the Racecourse Ground.

With the game stretched, both sides had opportunities in the closing stages. Pyunik pushed desperately for an equalizer to force extra time, while Wrexham looked to seal the contest with a fourth goal.

The outstanding Knox came close, dancing through the defense on a brilliant solo run before poking her finish agonizingly wide of the far post. Natasha Thomas put the finishing touches on a famous night, as the summer signing scored her first goal for the club to seal Wrexham’s place in Saturday’s final.

Wrexham Women had never played in Europe before. Now they have. No Welsh women’s team had scored in European competition for six years. Now they have. Most importantly, no Welsh women’s team had ever won a European match. Now they have. History has already been made—but there could be another chapter to write this weekend.

What Next for Wrexham Women?

The women’s Champions League trophy. — A place in the women’s Champions League is up for grabs this summer. | Kristian Skeie/UEFA/Getty Images

Wrexham Women will now face Latvian side Riga in the Group 3 final on Saturday, July 25.

Should Jenny Sugarman’s side advance from the first qualifying round, they will move into Group 7 of the second qualifying round. There, they would face Danish champions HB Køge in the semifinal before potentially meeting either Lithuanian side Gintra or Scottish club Hearts in the final.

The winners of the nine third qualifying round ties will join the nine clubs that qualify automatically for the league phase. Unlike the opening two rounds, the third qualifying round is played as a traditional two-legged knockout tie.

European heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea enter the competition in the third qualifying round this season. However, because Wrexham is competing through the Champions Path, the strongest possible opponent they could face at that stage would be Czech champions Sparta Prague.