Bellamy aims high as Wales' path to the World Cup is revealed

Wales will kick-off their campaign in March after being placed in a five-team group

Wales' road to North America will begin in three months and include a 3,000-mile away trip – but it is a journey Craig Bellamy cannot wait to get going on.

Head coach Bellamy watched as Wales were paired with both familiar rivals and new opponents in their bid for a place at the 2026 World Cup.

But, more importantly for the Wales boss, it has seen them placed in a five-team group – meaning their campaign will kick-off in March.

With games against Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein now confirmed, he is wasting little time in eyeing automatic qualification.

"I'm happy with the five teams, it gets the competition going very quick, and that's what I wanted, I wanted five teams, so that's a real positive," said Bellamy.

"It's been a good period, it's a good draw.

"I'm really looking forward to this, I'm excited to work with the group, we're all just looking forward to it, I genuinely feel this is a group we want to go and win."

Bellamy will be keen to build on the momentum of a maiden Nations League campaign in charge that has seen him go unbeaten in his first six games since replacing Robert Page.

However, he has made it clear that reaching the World Cup is his ultimate aim, and the former Wales captain was buoyed by the challenge presented to him by the draw made in Zurich.

Wales will take on regular foes Belgium – who topped the group in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup – and then face shedding their underdog status for games against third seeds North Macedonia, taking on the arduous trip to Astana for the game against Kazakhstan, and hoping not to slip up against minnows Liechtenstein.

Kazakhstan at home is Wales' opening fixture on 22 March, with the group qualifying campaign ending on 18 November against North Macedonia, also in Cardiff.

Wales go to Belgium on 9 June, with the return fixture on home soil on 13 October.

Bellamy added: "To get Belgium is great; I lived in Brussels for three years so that's nice, there's few players I was involved with, like Jeremy [Doku] and Zeno Debast, so it will be nice to see them.

"It's a team I know very well, a team I've watched quite a lot of especially in the last five, six years.

"North Macedonia is a different challenge, Kazakhstan we've never drawn before, so travel and what it will entail will be very different, Liechtenstein... I'm happy, I have to be honest, it's a good group.

"We're going to have to do our homework really well, and hopefully try and attack and finish top of the group."

Wales would have faced the prospect of friendlies in March and June before a congested campaign began in September had they been placed in a four-team group, with Bellamy admitting: "It's good to get going [in March].

"I really enjoyed the Nations League; friendlies I understand, but if I'm honest I'm not too concerned, because I don't see international games being friendlies - now we have none, we're straight in which is nice.

"There always something on a game, but this is real, live, this is qualifying."

Who do Wales play?

Wales have enjoyed some historic nights in their recent rivalry with Belgium, including a Gareth Bale-inspired win on the way to Euro 2016 qualification

BELGIUM

Fifa Ranking: 8

Manager: Domenico Tedesco

Key Player: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels (50,093)

Most Recent Meeting: Belgium 2-1 Wales (Moore), September 2022 Nations League

Wales fans will need little introduction to Belgium having been paired with them in three of the previous six qualifying campaigns. Including Nations League fixtures, there have been nine games between the countries since 2012, although this is a different Belgian side since their golden generation began to lose some of its sparkle.

Captain Kevin de Bruyne remains from the 2016 side Wales beat in one of their greatest nights, but he had reportedly threatened to quit international football and subsequently took time out after a recent run of form that has seen them win only one of their last eight, losing their most recent outing away to Israel.

They will compete in the Nations League play-offs with Ukraine in March to avoid relegation to the second tier having long slid down from the top of the Fifa rankings amid talk of in-fighting, but – as Bellamy alluded to – there is young talent emerging to be wary of.

NORTH MACEDONIA

Fifa Ranking: 67

Manager: Blagoja Mile

Key Player: Eljif Elmas (RB Leipzig)

Stadium: Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje (33,011)

Most Recent Meeting: Wales 1-0 North Macedonia (Church), October 2013 World Cup Qualifying

Bellamy's final home appearance as a Wales player came the last time the two sides met, while he was also captain when Wales were stunned in Skopje on the night perhaps best remembered for Chris Coleman losing his passport.

North Macedonia have since qualified for a first major finals, reaching Euro 2020 via the play-offs. They beat Germany and eliminated Italy before losing to Portugal in the play-offs for the last World Cup. They again held Italy and England in Euro 2024 qualifying to show they are a third seed that cannot be taken lightly.

Wales have not faced North Macedonia since 2013 during Bellamy's days as captain of his country

KAZAKHSTAN

Fifa Ranking: 110

Manager: Stanislav Cherchesov

Key Player: Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov (Besiktas)

Stadium: Astana Arena, Astana (30,244)

Most Recent Meeting: N/A

Wales have never faced Kazakhstan in the men's game since they entered Uefa qualifying in 2002. They have never qualified for a major finals, but have enjoyed an upturn in results in recent years. They finished just four points off an automatic qualifying spot for Euro 2024, including notable wins over Denmark, Finland and a double over Northern Ireland, before losing out to Greece in the play-offs.

They were relegated from Nations League B in a tough group with Norway, Austria and Slovenia, although they did hold Erling Haaland and co. to a 0-0 draw in Almaty to underline the difficulty when travelling to take on a side Bellamy will know he will have to do his studying on.

LIECHTENSTEIN

Fifa Ranking: 204

Manager: Konrad Funfstuck

Key Player: Marcel Buchel (SPAL)

Stadium: Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz (7,584)

Most Recent Meeting: Liechtenstein 0-2 Wales (Vaughan, Ramsey), October 2009 World Cup Qualifying

With only one win in the last four years – and that a friendly against Hong Kong - only San Marino were seeded lower in the draw. They have not won a qualifying fixture since 2014, scoring only once in ten defeats in their bid for Euro 2024.

Wales have enjoyed three wins from their three meetings, being paired together in 2010 World Cup qualifying which included a win in Vaduz marked by Aaron Ramsey's first goal for his country.

Wales first met Liechtenstein in 2006, Jason Koumas scoring twice in a 4-0 friendly win at Wrexham's Racecourse

How does qualifying work?

The 12 group winners earn an automatic place in the finals. The 12 runners-up head into the play-offs – along with the four highest-ranked Nations League group winners.

The play-offs form four paths, with single-leg semi-finals and finals, with the four winners heading to USA, Canada and Mexico.

If Wales do not finish in the top two of their group, they can still earn a play-off place as a Nations League B group winner.

If three of the Nations League group winners ranked higher than Craig Bellamy's side – including Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, England and Norway - make it out of their World Cup qualifying groups (i.e do not need a play-off place) the play-off place will drop down to Wales.

When will Wales play?

Having been placed in a five team group, Wales' eight-fixture campaign will get under way in March 2025 at home to Kazakhstan.

The odd number of teams mean there will be rest games in some of the double-header international windows.

Bellamy's side will also play games in June, September, October and November. Play-offs are scheduled for March 2026.

• 22 March 2025: Wales v Kazakhstan 19:45 GMT

• 25 March 2025: North Macedonia v Wales 19:45 GMT

• 6 June 2025: Wales v Liechtenstein 19:45 BST

• 9 June 2025: Belgium v Wales 19:45 BST

• 4 September: Kazakhstan v Wales 15:00 BST

• 13 October: Wales v Belgium 19:45 BST

• 15 November: Liechtenstein v Wales 17:00 GMT

• 18 November: Wales v North Macedonia 19:45 GMT

*Kick-off times subject to change