Noel Mooney Extends Contract as FAW Chief Executive Until 2030

Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney has signed a contract extension that will keep him in charge of Welsh football until 2030.

The 49-year-old joined the FAW from UEFA in the summer of 2021 and has overseen a period of significant progress for the game in Wales. During his tenure, the men’s national team qualified for their first World Cup in 64 years, while the women’s side reached a major tournament for the first time at last summer’s European Championship.

Alongside success at elite level, Mooney has led efforts to reinvest into the grassroots game. Since the launch of the Cymru Football Foundation in 2022, almost £30m has been distributed to improve football facilities across Wales, using funds generated from the professional and international game.

Mooney’s time in charge has not been without controversy. One of the most debated proposals during his leadership was an unsuccessful attempt to allow Wales’ four English Football League clubs to qualify for European competition through a Welsh domestic cup.

In announcing the contract extension, the FAW said the organisation has undergone a “far-reaching period of modernisation”, delivering progress both on and off the pitch. It added that under Mooney’s leadership, Welsh football’s governing body has become one of the most progressive and respected in the British Isles, while football has grown to be the most popular sport for boys and girls in Wales in terms of participation and interest.

The FAW will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2026 and plans to mark the milestone by launching a new 10-year strategy aimed at strengthening the game at every level across the country.