Pakistan’s Mariam Mahmood Makes UEFA Champions League History

Pakistan forward Mariam Mahmood has made history by becoming the first Pakistani footballer to feature in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

The 22-year-old represented Wrexham AFC Women during the club’s first-ever European campaign, which began with a 4-2 victory over Armenian champions FC Pyunik on July 22, 2026.

Mariam Mahmood started the first qualifying-round clash at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground as the Welsh side recovered from an early setback to secure a memorable win.

Katie Barker, Lili Jones, Ava Suckley and Natasha Thomas scored for Wrexham, helping the club become the first Welsh women’s team to win a match in European competition.

The victory sent Wrexham into the final of their four-team qualifying mini-tournament, where they faced Latvian champions Riga FC on July 25.

Wrexham entered halftime with a 1-0 lead but were unable to protect their advantage. Riga responded with four goals in the second half to claim a 4-1 victory and advance to the next qualifying round.

The defeat brought Wrexham’s Champions League campaign to an end, as only the winner of the mini-tournament was allowed to progress.

Despite the elimination, the campaign marked a major milestone for Mahmood and Pakistani football. She featured in both of Wrexham’s European matches and became the first Pakistani player to appear in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Her historic European appearance followed a successful domestic season with Wrexham.

In March 2026, Mahmood became the first Pakistani female footballer to win a European top-flight league title after Wrexham secured the Adran Premier championship for the first time in the club’s history.

She played an important role in the title-winning campaign, finishing the season with 10 goals and two assists as Wrexham earned qualification for Europe.

Mariam Mahmood joined the Welsh club from West Bromwich Albion Women, where she progressed through the academy and made more than 80 first-team appearances.

Born in Dudley, England, she later chose to represent Pakistan at the international level. She made her national team debut in 2025 during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers and scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Kyrgyzstan.

Mariam Mahmood is also Wrexham’s first British-Pakistani and first Muslim player.

Although Wrexham failed to advance beyond the opening qualifying stage, the campaign remained historic for both the club and Mahmood, with Wrexham recording their first European win and the Pakistan international breaking new ground on the continent.