Wales

World Cup 2026 Analysis

Here's the latest team news, squad updates, and 2026 World Cup predictions for Wales's national football team:

Team News and Squad Updates (late 2025 - early 2026):

Under the management of Craig Bellamy, Wales has been actively involved in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign throughout 2025. Key squad announcements and player movements have shaped the team.

In March 2025, for the opening World Cup Qualifier fixtures against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia, Motherwell youngster Kai Andrews received his first senior call-up. Aaron Ramsey, the Cardiff City captain, missed out due to a hamstring injury and was replaced by Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence. Other notable absences due to injury at that time included Harry Wilson, Ethan Ampadu, Wes Burns, and Rhys Norrington-Davies. Ollie Cooper, however, returned to the squad.

The June 2025 squad for qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium saw the return of Ethan Ampadu and Harry Wilson, who had recovered from injuries. Full-back Ronan Kpakio also received his first call-up. Several players entered this international window on the back of successful club seasons, with Ben Davies and Brennan Johnson winning the Europa League, and Connor Roberts, Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Daniel James, and Chris Mepham achieving promotion to the English Premier League.

By August 2025, ahead of qualifiers against Kazakhstan and a friendly against Canada, Bellamy named a 25-player squad, including three uncapped players: Ronan Kpakio, Dylan Lawlor, and Kai Andrews. Notably, players from Wrexham, including Danny Ward, Nathan Broadhead, and Kieffer Moore, were included for the first time in over a decade.

The September 2025 squad for matches against England and a crucial qualifier against Belgium saw the return of Aaron Ramsey following his move to Pumas UNAM in Mexico. Jay Dasilva, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, and Nathan Broadhead also returned after missing the previous month's international window.

In November 2025, for the final 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia, Craig Bellamy announced a near full-strength 26-player squad, with Dan James being the sole addition after recovering from injury.

2026 World Cup Qualification and Predictions:

Wales finished second in Group J of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, trailing Belgium. Their performance included a 3-0 win against Kazakhstan, a 1-1 draw away to North Macedonia, a 3-0 win against Liechtenstein, a 4-3 loss to Belgium in Brussels, a 1-0 win against Kazakhstan, and a 2-4 loss to Belgium at home. They secured second place with an emphatic 7-1 victory over North Macedonia and a 1-0 win against Liechtenstein in November 2025.

This second-place finish means Wales did not directly qualify for the World Cup but secured a spot in the play-offs. They are in Path A of the European play-offs and will host Bosnia and Herzegovina in a one-legged semi-final on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at Cardiff City Stadium. If they win this match, they will then face the winner of the semi-final between Italy and Northern Ireland in a final on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with Wales also potentially hosting this final.

Should Wales successfully navigate the play-offs and qualify for the 2026 World Cup, they have already learned their potential group stage opponents. The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw, which took place on December 5, 2025, placed the winner of Wales's play-off pathway in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland. Their opening match would be against Canada in Toronto on June 12, followed by Qatar on June 18, and Switzerland on June 24.

Regarding predictions for Wales's World Cup chances, an AI tool named Grok predicted the outcomes of the European play-offs. According to Grok, Wales is expected to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 in their semi-final. However, the AI then predicts that Wales will lose to Italy in a close-fought final, meaning Italy would ultimately qualify for the 2026 World Cup through Path A. This suggests that while Wales has a strong chance in their semi-final, overcoming a team of Italy's caliber in the final play-off match is seen as a significant challenge.