Rishi Sunak has howler with awkward Euro 2024 question to workers in Wales | Football | Sport

Rishi Sunak had a howler during a campaign visit to Wales on Thursday after he showed up at a brewery in Barry. The Prime Minister alluded to this summer’s Euro 2024 as he asked workers if they were looking forward to “all the football”. And after an awkward silence he was informed that Wales hadn’t qualified for the tournament.

Sunak was on the campaign trail after announcing on Wednesday that a general election would take place on Thursday, July 4.

The Conservatives are expected to lose their majority to Labour after initially coming to power in 2010 as part of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats before winning an overall majority in the 2015 election.

Sunak is a Southampton supporter, with his beloved Saints team set to go head-to-head with Leeds in the Championship play-off final on Sunday. But the politician’s attention was on international football when he made an appearance in Wales.

Sunak was shown the brewing process as he explained it was “part of a proper industry that we’re keen to support”. But he will want to quickly forget his faux pas after questioning whether the Euros would be a source of revenue.

Wales finished third in Group D of Euro 2024 qualifying behind group winners Turkey and runners-up Croatia after winning just three of their eight matches. Rob Page’s team then progressed to the play-off semi-finals, where they thrashed Finland 4-1.

But the play-off final proved to be one step too far as Wales were defeated on penalties by Poland at Cardiff City Stadium after the match had ended in a goalless draw.

The first nine spot kicks all found the back of the net as the penalty takers kept their nerve from 12 yards. But Leeds winger Dan James missed the decisive kick as the night ended in disappointment for the hosts.

“With a team in transition and while we’re in a transition, we’re one kick away from qualifying,” explained Page after the shootout defeat to Poland as he insisted he wanted to remain in charge of the team.

“We’ve got games in June, Nations League in autumn and then a World Cup qualifying campaign. That’s my full focus, building what we’ve already started and the transition which we’re in at this moment in time.

“I just know I’ve got a great group of players, a great staff. We’re going on the right staff. And there are younger players to introduce into this group as well. So that’s my next aim.”