Wales’ brilliant performance saw them beat North Macedonia 7-1 with a hat-trick from captain Harry Wilson, their biggest victory in 47 years and the perfect preparation for a home play-off for next year’s World Cup final.
With a place in the play-offs already assured, there was no realistic expectation that Belgium’s defeat to Liechtenstein would clinch a group stage win, so it was important to give Craig Bellamy’s side momentum and avoid Pot 1 opponents in the semi-finals next March.
In the frenetic Cardiff atmosphere, Wales got off to a perfect start, with Wilson converting an early penalty before David Brooks’ second goal was deflected and Wales appeared to be in cruise control within 20 minutes.
But a third goal in a frenzied five minutes put the Champagnes on ice, with a simple finish from Bojan Miovski giving Macedonia a lifeline after an unlucky Karl Darlow’s time slip after a ball from behind found Joe Rodon.
But minutes later, Brennan Johnson restored the two-point advantage with a stunning curling shot, leaving only one team in the race.
Brennan Johnson’s goal gave Wales a 3-1 lead – and they never looked back.
Twelve minutes into the second period, James added a second goal with a trademark free kick from 25 yards after Dan James clinched the victory after some slick passing.
Wales will continue to turn the screws despite clinching a home draw to the delight of Craig Bellamy. Wilson completed his hat-trick with another penalty and substitute Nathan Broadhead headed home in the final minute to send Cardiff into seventh heaven.
Bellamy’s side will play home semi-finals against Kosovo, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania in March. The draw will take place on Thursday at 12pm and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports’ digital platforms.
“Wales put in a perfect performance”
Sky Sports News’ Geraint Hughes said in Cardiff:
Wales got what they wanted: a play-off semi-final at home next March. Thursday will reveal who will stop them from qualifying for the World Cup, but Wales have shown they can qualify if they act boldly and bravely.
When Criag Bellamy was first appointed as head coach, he said one of his immediate goals was to establish an identity within the team. Supporters could understand that, having witnessed periods of games over the past 18 months where Wales looked great. But while there are always problems, sometimes things don’t work out, things don’t go as planned, and there are some pains along the way.
Here Bellamy’s Wales gave a full performance, not just 20, 30 and 45 minutes. All the good parts Wales showed came in the 90 minutes.
Speed, pace, fast runner, smooth and fast runner.
That’s what Bellamy and his coaches trained Wales, that’s what the players practiced and continue to practice on that unforgettable night in Cardiff, and that’s what this game will be remembered for, and everything they learned leading up to it must be packed away.
Once you’ve done it once and proven to yourself that you can do it, do it again.
Bellamy and his team will be gunning for the chance to play anyone at home in Cardiff. Cardiff has been an inspirational home for the team and the crowd has high expectations for them, but it was the Welsh players’ purposeful speed that led the crowd this time.
Bellamy: That was as close to perfect as I’ve ever seen.
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Craig Bellamy praised Wales’ performance in their 7-1 victory over North Macedonia, which set up a home play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
Wales head coach Craig Bellamy told BBC Sport:
“I really enjoyed it, even from the first minutes. I talked to the players right before I came here and the way they played and how they countered it, I felt like I was going to really enjoy it.”
At the end I said to them, I’m not a perfect person and I’ve never met anyone who is perfect, but it was as close to a perfect performance as I’ve ever seen, so maybe I can take some back. ”
Wilson: We had a point to prove.
Wales captain Harry Wilson told BBC Sport:
“It was a great night for me, but tonight was about the team. We wanted to show what a good team we are.
“After the game against Liechtenstein, the team was disappointed. Even though we were dominating the game, we could have scored a few more goals.
“We were determined to go out tonight and show people that we can not only hold the ball, but we can also punish teams.”
When is the 2026 World Cup draw?
The 2026 World Cup draw will be held on December 5th in Washington.
President Trump will join FIFA President Gianni Infantino to determine group stage brackets at the John F. Kennedy Center, the performing arts venue where Trump is chairman.
When announcing the lottery venue at the White House in August, President Trump said the World Cup was “the biggest event in sports,” while Infantino declared the 104 games would be like “the 104th Super Bowl.”
The draw will take place from 12pm local time (5pm UK time).
When is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
This will be the 23rd tournament.
