What Next For Wales, and Will They Qualify for the World Cup?

What Next For Wales, and Will They Qualify for the World Cup?

Let’s be honest - no one expected Wales to run England close last night. The Three Lions boast one of the best squads on the international scene, had the home advantage, and currently sit 26 places above the Dragons in the FIFA world rankings, with Craig Bellamy’s outfit currently sitting in 30th.

A win over Wales at Wembley! 💪 pic.twitter.com/AP1O3XalK9

— England (@England) October 9, 2025

As expected, they lost, thanks to quickfire first-half goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka, as Thomas Tuchel’s side illustrated some much-needed growth under the German, who has had a stop-start opening stint of his England tenure.

However, the issue is that Wales could have taken so much more from the game - though they were totally out-possessed (64% to 36%), their counterattacking setup caused England problems when they gave it away, and they managed to fire 10 shots on Jordan Pickford’s goal, compared to the hosts’ 17.

But once again, a familiar problem reared its ugly head for Bellamy - a clear lack of clinical finishing. Though they only took seven shots fewer than their UK rivals, they accumulated just 0.5 XG, compared to England, who mustered more than the three goals they scored (I know, I hate using this woke statistic too, but it illustrates the gap in quality perfectly).

Fortunately, their tie with England was a straightforward international friendly, and not a World Cup qualifying game - however, there are signs that should Wales continue to encounter the same problems time and again, then they could be at risk of missing out on football’s biggest stage once again.

Wales Get AKicked**

Bellamy took a refreshingly positive stance when interviewed upon the full-time whistle: “I’ve never been damaged by a football match. When you got your a kicked, that’s when you learned the most. And I got my a kicked!”

"I wanted this game, I needed to see where we are" 💬

Craig Bellamy remains positive following the defeat to England insisting that the friendly provided a valuable learning curve, but hopes that egos are 'hurt' 😤 pic.twitter.com/imwD97AnhO

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 9, 2025

He did indeed. Furthermore, Wales' next fixture is a vital one, a World Cup qualifier against Belgium which could make or break their entire campaign, and this most recent result would have done nothing to boost confidence.

Currently, the Dragons lie third in qualifying group J with 10 points from five games. Monday’s opponents Belgium sit in second on the same total but with a game in hand, while surprise contenders North Macedonia top the table, winning three and drawing two of their five fixtures so far.

A win on Monday is imperative for Bellamy - should his side lose and North Macedonia win, then they would be at the very least three points behind their nearest rival. With Belgium’s game in hand and Macedonia’s surprisingly competitive form, making up that ground could prove to be a step too far.

Why Are Wales Struggling in Front of Goal?

Many had started to think that Bellamy had left the low-scoring memories of Rob Page’s Wales far behind - since the former West Ham, Man City and Liverpool man’s appointment, Wales have impressed, scoring an average of two goals a match prior to the England game.

•Wales trying to go toe-to-toe with England• pic.twitter.com/EQRC8CBuLX

— SimpsonsEFL (@EflSimpsons) October 9, 2025

However, familiar demons came back to haunt his side last night. Starting with an attacking lineup that included a Premier League trio of Harry Wilson, Brennan Johnson and David Brooks, as well as in-form Wrexham target man Kieffer Moore, the Welsh faithful were whispering of a potential upset.

However, a shocking start to the game instead saw them 3-0 down after just 20 minutes of play. If Bellamy wasn’t careful, he could have been on the end of an absolute humiliation. Moreover, throughout this defensive disaster class, his team could not create anything more than a half-chance, and it is generous to even label them as that.

Half-time came and went, with Wales still 3-0 down, and you can imagine the harsh words being spoken in the dressing room - at the back, Wales were all over the place, falling asleep with every other kick of the ball, and up the other end, they looked as toothless as your grandmother after eating a Curly-Wurly.

Kudos to the coach; whatever he said to his team had the right effect. After a couple of lapses in judgement early on in the second period, Wales really grew into the game, and even had a clear-cut chance in the 55th minute, when Brooks’ close-range volley had to be well saved by Pickford.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Jordan Pickford kept a record eighth clean sheet in a row for England in their 3-0 win over Wales, breaking the record previously held by Gordon Banks pic.twitter.com/V8pcDMeHIP

— 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 (@EvertonNewsFeed) October 9, 2025

But their forays forward were too few and far between, and it gives Bellamy a headache - to qualify for the World Cup, he needs goals, but the majority of the players on the pitch either lack natural finishing instincts, or simply can’t compete at an elite level.

Kieffer Moore falls under this bracket - tried, tested and failed at Premier League level, Moore is a certified Championship-level striker, and though his impressive return of five goals in 10 games for Wrexham this season has turned some heads, he simply can’t compete with elite centre backs such as Marc Guehi and John Stones.

This wales press is just sad. Kieffer Moore should never be forced to break out of a jog

— . (@mkn7910) October 9, 2025

As for the wingers? Well, Brennan Johnson is the only one who can claim that he is a regular scorer at club level, topping the charts for Tottenham with 18 goals in 51 games. However, David Brooks and Harry Wilson’s combined total across last season and the start of the current campaign sits at nine, half that of their more accomplished attacking compatriot.

Perhaps Stoke City winger Sorba Thomas would have been a better choice on the left flank, his four goals and three assists already this season vaulting the Potters into promotion contention. And perhaps starting exciting youngster Jordan James over Wilson would have lent more balance to the midfield, bolstering their defensive durability while keeping England guessing in attack.

No player has created more big chances (9) this season than Sorba Thomas.

Back to seeing him at his best 👏 pic.twitter.com/mMooh2j2UW

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) October 8, 2025

Needless to say, while Wales bag goals for fun against sides that they should, they are yet to find the right recipe for success in big games, something that Bellamy has just three days to work out before they welcome Belgium to the Cardiff City Stadium.

A Defensive Shambles

While attack can win you games, it is defence that wins titles - it’s cliche, I know, but if Sir Alex Ferguson says anything Shakespearean, you tend to listen. Wales know all about the other end of this particular spectrum - their defensie form last night was nothing short of dire.

The entire backline fell asleep for the first goal, which saw Marc Guehi keep the ball in play and pull it back to an unmarked Morgan Rogers, while the second goal saw a dangerous cross pass by three defenders before reaching Ollie Watkins, who duly found the back of the net.

In fairness, there was little anyone could do about Bukayo Saka’s wonder goal, but the precedent had been set - England could have scored more, such was the carelessness from the Dragons’ backline.

BUKAYO SAKA HITS A WORLDIE TO PUT ENGLAND UP 3-0 IN THE 20TH MINUTE 😳

THE ENGLISH ARE PUTTING ON AN ABSOLUTE CLINIC AGAINST WALES 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R7ePyBBr2i

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 9, 2025

Cheap giveaways, risky turns, and inaccurate passes were the order of the night, and Wales were ordering for 11.

These defensive frailties are nothing new - in June, they shipped four to Belgium on their way to an entertaining 4-3 defeat, while in September, they suffered a shock loss to Canada, and allowed the up-and-coming North Americans to have by far the better chances despite having possession of the ball two-thirds of the time.

Under Bellamy, Wales have also shipped cheap goals to the likes of Iceland, Montenegro and Kazakhstan, which begs the question - how can you qualify for a major tournament if your backline isn’t up to the test when you get there?

Wales’ qualification is far from certain, and their fate could hang on Monday’s result. With the same old issues afflicting both ends of the pitch, Bellamy has some decisions to make. Can he turn these weaknesses into strengths? Or will he see his stint end the way almost every other Wales coach has - in disappointment, defeat, and in the wake of failure to qualify for a major tournament?