Craig Bellamy targets Cymru success in World Cup double

Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy has called on his players to end their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on a high as they prepare to take on Liechtenstein and North Macedonia.

Cymru are currently third place in Group J and could mathematically still win the group to achieve automatic qualification as they sit just four points behind leaders Belgium. However, the more likely scenario is that Bellamy’s side will participate in the play-offs in March, either as group runners-up or through their success in the UEFA Nations League last year.

“We need to win two,” said Bellamy at his squad announcement on Wednesday. “Liechtenstein, we expect to win and I’m not going to shy away from that. North Macedonia is a different game, but I feel they’ve been fortunate not to lose. They’re games I believe we will have a lot of possession in, and we have to be able to create chances from having that possession.”

Cymru travel to Vaduz to take on Liechtenstein on Saturday 15 November (KO 5pm GMT) before North Macedonia, currently in second place, are the visitors to the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday 18 November (KO 7.45pm). Undefeated Belgium also have two games remaining as they prepare to take on Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.

“There’s no easy route,” added Bellamy. “But to get to a World Cup isn’t supposed to be. If we finish second then we could avoid a couple of top teams at their grounds, and that’s a motivation for us. I just want us to try and win every game.”

David Brooks salvaged a point for Cymru away to North Macedonia in March when he equalised deep into added time to make it 1-1, while goals from Joe Rodon, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore ensured a comfortable 3-0 victory for Cymru over Liechtenstein when the two sides met in Cardiff in June.

“I won’t criticise anyone who does something different because there’s no right or wrong in football,” said Bellamy. “I have to have that feeling that we can win every game, I want the players to feel that, and I want the supporters to feel that.

“If it doesn’t happen, I also want the criticism, because we should demand that if we want to keep progressing and keep going to major tournaments. I’m not here for the hard luck stories. That’s not what I want us to be or what I want to be part of.”

Ben Davies and Daniel James are both included in a strong squad despite their recent injury concerns. “We’re still monitoring Ben, and we have to keep following that up,” Bellamy added. “If he’d been out for a longer period then I would have been more concerned, but I don’t see maintaining his fitness to be too big a problem.”

However, Aaron Ramsey remains absent from the squad. “He’s not available at this present moment,” explained Bellamy. “He’s still injured. It’s been a difficult time for him at this moment with his family. He’s an incredible person and incredible player for our country, and we need to let him be him for this period.”

Cymru head into the November double-header on the back of defeats against Belgium and England last month, but Bellamy was keen to emphasise the benefits of testing himself and his players against top opposition and explained the benefits of going head-to-head against the best in the game.

“It was nice watching the last games back to have an understanding of where we are and maybe what we can get to,” Bellamy added. “I will not apologise for trying to play the best teams, we want to improve. I don’t want to lose, but I don’t fear it because I see it as an opportunity to learn.”

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