Ever since she was little, Lia Wälti always loved to play football. She continued to pursue her dream, which lead to her winning the Champions League with Arsenal this spring and captain her country for their home Euros this summer. Earlier this year, Lia and her sister Meret Wälti released a book for kids where she illustrated her football journey.
Before Wälti played for English side Arsenal, she played in Berne in Switzerland for the Young Boys club and the german club of Turbine Potsdam, where she had several successful seasons.
In 2011, she debuted for the first Swiss National Team, now captaining the team to the home euros.
She’s a highly tactical and empowering leader, earning the trust and respect of both her teammates and coach Pia Sundhage. As a midfielder, Wälti possesses exceptional vision, constantly reading the game and orchestrating play with intelligence and precision. Her strategic mindset and sharp decision-making can leave even the most seasoned defenders unsettled. While she may not be the top goal scorer, she plays a crucial role in initiating attacks and driving build-ups. And when she does take a shot, it’s often a stunning long-range effort from well outside the 16-yard box.
Not only is she a very valuable player for her country, but also for her club, Arsenal. Wälti joined the English side in 2018 and won the Women’s Super League in her debut season, the FA Women’s League Cup in 2023 and 2024 and just this year the Champions League Trophy.
Beyond her collection of trophies, she has also earned several individual accolades throughout her career. She was named in the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Team of the Year for the 2018/19 season, honoured as Switzerland’s Female National Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2023, and was voted Arsenal’s Player of the Month in January 2025.
Alongside her demanding football career, Wälti is also pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a focus on Sports Management through an online program offered by a Swiss university.
In her book, she tells the story of how she started out in football.
As a child, Lia not only played football in the garden with her sister, but also spent countless hours on the sidelines, watching the local boys’ team train. One day, the coach took notice and approached her with a simple question: would she like to join the team? At the time, there was no girls’ team in her hometown of Langnau, so this was her only path into organised football. Lia gladly accepted and quickly found joy in training alongside the boys. Because it was a boys’ team, she was given her own changing room – and, amusingly, even had the referees all to herself.
A coach of a football school for girls picked up Lia’s talent at a game. So he introduced himself to the family and invited Lia to a practice training session. The football school accepted her and she began to attend sessions. During these, she was able to learn a lot more than just the art of football. For this she moved in with a host family, but still came back to play with the boys on weekends.
Something was clear for Lia – she wanted to play football and become a pro some day. But she needed a plan B, as there was never a guaranteed future for her in football. She had an interest in working with kids, although at the time this wouldn’t have worked with the training hours, and giving up football just wasn’t an option.
Upon releasing her book, she stated:
“It’s our goal to build something that supports girls and women in football.”
By sharing her journey, she hopes to inspire young girls to keep pursuing their passion for the game – because who knows, one day they too might become professional players and represent their national team.
To many young girls, Lia is someone they look up to. More are attending games and she shows them that there is an opportunity for them to become a footballer. She encourages young girls to pursue their dreams.
On International Women’s Day she shared an inspiring quote on Instagram:
“Women before us fought just to be allowed to play. I grew up with different rules just because I was a girl. Today, I live a dream that once felt impossible – but we’re not there yet. Let’s keep standing together, using our voices, and pushing for a world where no one is excluded, underestimated, or held back. Let’s make sure the next generation won’t have to fight the same battles”
When asked about the Euros in an interview for “fhnews” in 2024 she replied:
“It’s an absolute highlight. There aren’t many athletes who get to compete in a tournament in their own country. In that sense, we’re an exception, something we would have hardly dared to dream of a few years ago. So, it’s safe to say that the tournament will be the icing on the cake, and we’ll do everything we can to ensure we have positive memories.”
Her way of empowering and impacting so many of us is a gift, whether it’s on or off the pitch.
https://www.fhnews.ch/artikel/ich-weiss-wie-wichtig-es-fuer-meine-zukunft-ist
Book “Lia am Ball: Das Fussballmärchen ihres Lebens” by Lia and Meret Wälti
