It is already one of the great sporting stories: an unheralded team made up of a fair share of journeyman professionals (plus, to be fair, one global superstar) upsets the odds to reach the semi-final of a major tournament for the first time.
But as preparations for the big game got into full swing, fans of Chris Coleman’s team across Wales were daring to believe. “I think we could do it,” said Carmarthenshire jeweller Mari Thomas. “They have shown such courage, they are so together – a proper team.”
With a population of just 3 million, Wales is a relatively small nation, but that seems to mean that its citizens feel closer to the squad. So many have a connection. Thomas, for instance, presented Coleman with a smart pair of cufflinks before he left for France engraved with the team’s tournament motto: Together Stronger. “I think he’s wearing them. I like to think they are bringing him luck,” she said.
Whitchurch high school in Cardiff has more of a connection than most. Gareth Bale used to be a pupil there and was ordered to play with his “wrong” foot – the right one – because he was just too good with his left.
His PE teacher, Gwyn Morris, said: “It was clear from very early on that Gareth had talent. Not only was he incredibly fast but he also had a brilliant touch. I used to insist that Gareth played with his right foot – despite him being naturally left-footed.
“I wanted him to develop his game and he was so determined that he would stick to my instructions. He is going to be an icon and inspiration for so many generations to come.”
Whatever the result of the semi-final against Portugal, this team will leave a legacy. The Prince of Wales, normally more of a polo supporter than football fan, made that clear in a message he sent the squad: “Throughout the whole championship, you have set an inspiring example of teamwork and sportsmanship and I have no doubt that in this latest game you will continue to give your country even greater cause for pride.
“Your historic achievements have already earned the support not only of Wales, but of the whole United Kingdom, and I hope you will know just how much we are all willing you on to further success.”
The hope is that it will inspire youth. Childhood obesity is a particular problem in Wales and even if the team’s success does not lead to a new influx of Gareth Bales, it may encourage youngsters off their couches. Laura Mason, a lecturer in exercise physiology who works with Wales’s only Premier League club, Swansea City, said: “Wales has always been seen as a rugby nation. This team is changing that. I think it will get more children into sport, which can only be a good thing for the country’s health.”
The team’s run has also been good for business. Pubs, bars and clubs have seen profits surge. Workplaces are hoping a wave of optimism will boost their businesses. The Labour-led Welsh government is delighted at the profile the competition has given it.
Mike Thomas, owner of the Swansea Tattoo Lab, has been rushed off his feet. Most football fans with an inclination for tattoos have gone for Welsh badges; the more ambitious have had him ink images of Bale on arms, legs and chests. “It’s been hectic,” he said.
There have been unexpected consequences. Beth Owen, manager of the Siop Tŷ Tawe, a Welsh language shop and centre in Swansea (Chris Coleman’s home town), said its books had been flying off the shelves since Wales began to do well in the competition. “I think it’s given people an interest in Welsh and a pride in our country,” she said.
Might Euro 2016 – coupled, perhaps, with the EU referendum result – also trigger a surge in interest in Welsh nationalism? Plaid Cymru certainly hopes so.
Its leader, Leanne Wood, has already called for the team to be take an open-top bus tour around the country. “This Welsh football team has united the nation with their team spirit, passion and confidence,” she said.
There may even be a film. Actor and director Jonny Owen, a Cardiff City fan from Merthyr Tydfil, was asked about it. “If we won, absolutely. It would probably be one of the greatest stories in the history of team sport.”
The faithful have flown in from far and wide for the game – from Australia, Canada, the US. Some have paid out and headed to France to watch the game in the stadium or in the fan zones there. Others are heading to Cardiff, where the focus will be on the Principality Stadium, where giant screens will relay the action to the Welsh capital. Twenty thousand free tickets were made available: they were grabbed within the hour.
Contingency plans have been laid to make sure those who want to watch from home will not have their power interrupted. Analysts at the National Grid expect a 500 megawatt surge at half-time, the equivalent of 200,000 kettles being switched on at once.
Welsh hospital patients in Cardiff should not have to miss out – the Cardiff and Vale University NHS health board trebled its wireless internet capacity because of an overwhelming demand from fans in hospitals.
Of course, it is not all fun and games. There is a sadness among the squad and the nation that the last Wales manager, Gary Speed, will not see the game. Speed, 42, was found dead in his home in Huntington, Cheshire, in November 2011. His father, Roger, will be watching the game with Speed’s two sons in Lyon. Asked what his son would say to the side, he suggested: “Go out there and do your best. Do it for Wales. We are Wales, so do your best, that is all you can do.”
Swansea delivery driver William Jones took time out from his round to explain why he thought Wales had done so well. “We have this Welsh word, hwyl.” It means fervour, spirit, fun, an indefinable sense of joy. “That sums up this team.”
