Lia Wälti. Photo Credit: Lia Wälti Instagram
Football has always been a big part of Lia’s childhood. At only 8 years old, she played for FC Langnau, a team coached by her father. 2009-2011 was a special period in the Swiss midfielder’s career. After signing for BSC YB Frauen, she won the Nationalliga A and made her debut in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The future looked bright with this only being the start of her football journey. She was evidently A young talent with many more exciting opportunities ahead.
Lia Wälti spent 5 seasons playing for Turbine Potsdam in the Frauen-Bundesliga in Germany from 2013-2018. During her time at the club, she made over 100 appearances and in only her second season she became captain. Introduced into the national set up at under 17’s, Lia featured in the UEFA Women’s U17 & U19 Championship. In 2010, she was also part of the FIFA Women’s U20 World Cup.
Wälti made her first appearance in the Swiss Women’s national team back in 2011 against Scotland and quickly became an established player within the squad. With almost 100 senior caps so far for her country, Lia looks to continue her positive experiences with the team during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Since joining the mighty Gunners in 2018, Lia continued her incredible journey as a professional footballer. Not only was she named in the 2018/19 PFA team of the year, but she also won the WSL league title with Arsenal during her first season at the club. Most recently, she was crowned champion of the FA Women’s League Cup 2022/23. Arsenal surprisingly defeated Chelsea 3-1 in a thrilling game of football.
A new captain
Wälti became Switzerland’s captain, following the retirement of Lara Dickerman in 2019. Being captain at 26 is a huge responsibility but this came naturally to Lia and her leadership qualities didn’t go unrecognized. Despite being the third captain at Arsenal, her presence in the team is one that the players and staff appreciate. She is a big influence and sets high standards in games along with other responsibilities off the pitch.
Lia Wälti signs new contract for Arsenal
After 5 years at the club, Wälti put pen to paper and committed her future to Arsenal. In her words;
“Arsenal means so much to me – it felt like home from the moment I joined and over the years I’ve built such strong bonds with this club and the community around it. This is an exciting time to be a part of Arsenal and I want to keep making new memories with this group.”
It became Arsenal, it stayed Arsenal and it will stay Arsenal. I love this club. I love this family. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QyV7P3yDaq
— Lia Wälti (@liawaelti) May 11, 2023
Despite only winning one league title and one cup with this team, the connection between her and everyone at Arsenal is what makes it undeniably special. Jonas Eideval thinks highly of the Swiss midfielder. He explained how she has played a pivotal role within the team bringing her leadership from the national team into domestic football. He further described her as
“One of the best midfielders in the world”
Wearing the number 13 could be seen as ‘unlucky for some’. However, Wälti has certainly become a huge part of this squad as well as her country. Her experience and raw ability to be composed in all areas of her game shows why she is one of the first names on the team sheet each week. Teammate Leah Williamson referred to her as having ‘snake hips’. An inside joke which describes how her hips move in ways that enable her to glide through the opposition. Growing up, Lia discussed how her dad made an ice rink in her back garden where she used to play ice hockey which correlates with her effective movement on the pitch.
As a result of the extremely demanding schedule in the 2022/23 season, Lia took a step back from club and country football. She expressed how her body felt exhausted and drained because of the pressure put on her. Focussing on her mental well-being was the main priority to get back to performing at her best. Following the conclusion of the 2022/23 WSL season, Wälti had time to rest and recover before preparations began for the World Cup.
Squad announcement
It is no surprise that Wälti has been named as part of the final 23 Switzerland squad ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Despite suffering an injury that put doubt on her dreams of playing in the tournament, Lia made a full recovery.
Forming the heart and soul of the Swiss team are PSG’s Ramona Bachmann, Barcelona’s Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic, and of course, the captain Lia Wälti. Manager Inka Grings describes them as ‘damn dangerous’ as the trio will look to cause havoc, creating problems for the opposition.
As the link-up player between defence and attack, Lia dominates her position in midfield, breaking lines in the build-up whilst being an influential part of protecting her defensive line. She controls the game, allowing her teammates to move freely around the pitch, making it difficult for other teams.
Lia Wälti leads her country in only their second appearance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their first appearance was in Vancouver in 2015 when hosts Canada knocked them out in the round of 16. The team had a successful Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign, winning 8 out of 10 games. Expectations are set high as they hope to reach further in the competition than their previous encounter.
Knockout football is not unusual to Lia. Her experience in the Champions League will be crucial so long as they make it out of the group. Can Lia Wälti and the Swiss team show what it takes to go all the way?
Switzerland kick off their 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign on Friday 21st of July. They face the Philippines who will be making their debut in the tournament. Norway and co-hosts New Zealand also form part of a competitive Group A. Set your alarms and tune in to their first game which will be shown live on ITV, (6:00 am BST) to follow them on their journey down under.
To read more Women’s World Cup related articles, click here.
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