Mared Griffiths scores first senior goal for Wales
Manchester United teenager Mared Griffiths scored her first senior international goal for Wales on Saturday.
You may remember that the 18-year-old netted twice on her one first-team appearance for United, last season's 6-0 win over Wolves in the FA Cup, and is now making an impression for her country.
Griffiths scored Cymru's equaliser in their eventual 1-2 friendly defeat to Australia, while picking up her second cap on what was her first start for the nation.
To top an already proud day for homegrown United talent, Academy defender Scarlett Hill was introduced off the bench for her senior debut, while graduate Safia Middleton-Patel played her sixth game in the Wales goal.
What a goal! 🤯
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) October 25, 2025
Mared Griffiths puts Wales on level terms with Australia ⚖️
🏴 Wales 1-1 Australia 🇦🇺
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#BBCFootball #WALvAUS pic.twitter.com/nfDtZM2qm3
Griffiths was later awarded Wales' Player of the Match award, after her excellent account-opening goal in Cardiff, one which took real composure and technique.
A shooting chance looked to have got away from our young midfielder after a defensive intervention stopped Jess Fishlock from registering her own effort, but Mared adjusted accordingly, getting back around the ball so that she could produce a delicate scoring chip over Australia goalkeeper Teagan Micah.
Our no.36's strike did cancel out Courtney Nevin's opener for the visitors, but it was a shame that it didn't count for more, after a late winner for the team ranked 15th in the world from Arsenal's Caitlin Foord.
While Griffiths stole a share of the post-match limelight, the headlines since have understandably been dominated by aforementioned captain Fishlock, who played her 166th and final game for Wales on the afternoon.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Maya Le Tissier and Ella Toone both started for England in their first outing since winning UEFA Women's Euro 2025 over the summer, a 1-2 friendly loss to Brazil.
Le Tissier played at both right-back and centre-back in an eventful encounter at the Etihad Stadium, which Brazil led by two goals after just 18 minutes through efforts from Bia Zaneratto and Dudinha.
The Lionesses were handed a lifeline when visiting captain Angelina was shown a straight red card for hauling down Toone, judged to be in possession of a goalscoring opportunity, shortly after.
But the South Americans' staunch defending frustrated the European champions, who were limited on the scoresheet to a penalty from Bayern Munich's Georgia Stanway.
Stanway's former Manchester City team-mate and now United midfielder Jess Park didn't play, having been forced to withdraw from the squad as she continues her rehabilitiation from a delayed concussion.
Park withdraws from England squad
ArticleJess misses out on games for her country against Brazil and Australia.
Before Saturday's double-header of United involvement, there were six fixtures that members of Marc Skinner's squad featured in on Friday (UK time), including both of the UEFA Nations League semi-final first legs.
Melvine Malard was a second-half substitute for France, who will be looking to overturn a narrow 0-1 deficit to Germany in this Tuesday's all-important rematch.
Meanwhile, there's work for Fridolina Rolfo, Anna Sandberg, Julia Zigiotti Olme and Sweden to do after they were beat 4-0 by Spain.
Before the tie in which our Reds trio were all part of Sweden's XI, Rolfo presented her former Barcelona team-mate and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati with her latest Ballon d'Or trophy, a nice gesture after the latter won the prestigious award for the third time recently.
Elsewhere in a series of friendlies, Dominique Janssen captained Netherlands in a 0-0 stalemate away to Poland, her first match as new head coach Arjan Veurink's preliminary skipper. Hinata Miyazawa's delightful first-time ball over the Italy defence set up Yui Hasegawa's equaliser for Japan in a 1-1 draw.
Jayde Riviere was unlucky not to get an assist of her own in Canada's 0-1 reverse to Switzerland, after an incisive pass forward to Janine Sonis preceded Sonis's one-on-one attempt being saved by the Swiss goalkeeper.
Speaking of shot-stoppers, Phallon Tullis-Joyce earned her fourth cap for USA, as Emma Hayes's side lost 1-2 to Portugal despite a first-minte opener from former Man City midfielder Rose Lavelle.
PTJ and co will have an opportunity to put things right though, as they face the same opposition again tonight (20:00 GMT kick-off), in Sunday's only fixture featuring at least one of our players.