Lia Wälti

Lia Joëlle Wälti (born 19 April 1993) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the Switzerland national team. She is the captain of the Swiss national team and the fourth captain of Arsenal. She was also the captain of her previous club Turbine Potsdam. Before signing for Arsenal in July 2018, she played professionally for Nationalliga A club YB Frauen from 2009 until 2013 and for Bundesliga club Turbine Potsdam from 2013 until 2018.

Lia Wälti
Wälti during a press conference with Switzerland in 2017
Personal information
Full name Lia Joëlle Wälti[1]
Date of birth (1993-04-19) 19 April 1993
Place of birth Langnau im Emmental, Bern, Switzerland
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Midfielder, centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Arsenal
Number 13
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 Köniz
2009–2013 YB Frauen
2013–2018 Turbine Potsdam 97 (7)
2018– Arsenal 84 (1)
International career‡
2011– Switzerland 110 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 July 2022

She has been a member of the Switzerland national team since August 2011.[2] As an Under-19 international she played the 2009 U-19 European Championship[3] and the 2010 U-20 World Cup.[4]

Club career

Early career

In her childhood, Wälti played ice hockey as well as football.[5] In 2002, at the age of 8, she started playing for FC Langnau, a boys football team coached by her father. In 2007 she was admitted to the Huttwill Training Centre and, half a year later, she joined Team Bern West. In 2009 she moved to BSC Young Boys, where she played for a year in the U16 boys' team.

FC Köniz (2008–2009)

At the same time she played for Team Bern West, Wälti joined FC Köniz of the Swiss Challenge League.

BSC YB Frauen (2009–2013)

In 2009, Wälti joined BSC YB Frauen, where, in 2011, she won the Nationalliga A. In the same year, she debuted in the UEFA Women's Champions League.[6]

Lia Wälti for Turbine Potsdam

Turbine Potsdam (2013–2018)

In 2013, Wälti signed a contract with 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam of the Frauen-Bundesliga.[7] She was named captain in her second season and played 110 games between 2013 and 2018.

Arsenal (2018–)

After 110 appearances with the German team, Wälti signed a contract with Arsenal in July 2018.[8] Wälti was instrumental in Arsenal's 2018–2019 WSL league winning season although only played half of the season after she suffered a LCL injury which kept her out of football for 9 months In April 2019.[9] She included in 2018-2019 PFA Team of the Year.[10] On 13 December 2019, Wälti signed a long-term contract with the club.[11]

International career

Youth

Wälti played in the 2008 U-17 European Championship. She also played for the Switzerland U19 team in 2008 and 2009. She reached the semifinals in the 2009 U-19 European Championship. The next year, she joined the U20 team at the 2010 U-20 World Cup.

Senior

On 21 August 2011, Wälti made her debut for the Switzerland senior team in a match against Scotland.

In 2015, she played at the World Cup. In 2019 after the retirement of Lara Dickerman, she was named captain.

Career statistics

Club
As of 22 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cups Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Turbine Potsdam 2013–14 Frauen-Bundesliga 1901062262
2014–15 20250—252
2015–16 22330—253
2016–17 152——152
2017–18 21030—210
Total 977120621109
Arsenal 2018–19 WSL 12050—170
2019–20 1006140201
2020–21 20030—230
2021–22 2003080310
2022–23 18120110311
2023–24 40002060
Total 8411912501282
Career total 181831131223811

International
Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Wälti goal.
List of international goals scored by Lia Wälti
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
124 November 2017LIPO Park, Schaffhausen, Switzerland Belarus2–03–02019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification

Honours

BSC YB Frauen

Turbine Potsdam

Arsenal

Individual

References
  1. "List of Players – Switzerland" (PDF). FIFA. 30 May 2015. p. 22. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  2. Profile in the Swiss Football Association's website
  3. French and Swiss advance to semis. UEFA
  4. Statistics in FIFA's website
  5. "Arseblog Exclusive Interview with Lia Wälti- 'The more we play at the Emirates, the more it will feel like home.'". 28 July 2021.
  6. "Lia Wälti".
  7. "Lia Wälti wechselt zu Turbine Potsdam". Archived from the original on 30 July 2013.
  8. "Lia Walti joins the club". 13 July 2023.
  9. "Lia Walti undergoes knee surgery, likely out 9 months". 11 April 2019.
  10. "Lia Walti injury update". 13 July 2023.
  11. "Lia Walti commits her future to the club". 13 July 2023.
  12. "Women's Honours". www.arsenal.com. 13 July 2023.
  13. Sanders, Emma (5 March 2023). "Arsenal 3–1 Chelsea: Gunners fight back to win Women's League Cup final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  14. "PFA WSL TEAM OF THE YEAR". www.thepfa.com.
  15. baumgartner.stefan. "Swiss Football Night: Virtuelle Auszeichnung für die Besten des Jahres 2021". www.football.ch (in German). Retrieved 28 January 2022.
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