World Cup preview: Wales
The country's only other World Cup appearance came 64 years ago
Previous World Cup appearances: 1958
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1958)
Group stage schedule: vs. USA (Nov. 21), vs. Iran (Nov. 25), vs. England (Nov. 29)
Note: All stats accurate as of Aug. 24, 2022.
The breakdown
How they qualified:
Wales came in second in a five-team group that included Belgium, Belarus, the Czech Republic and Estonia with four wins, three draws and one loss. That sent them to the playoff round of qualifying, where they defeated Austria and Ukraine to secure their spot in Qatar. The war in Ukraine resulted in the postponement of the playoff games for this group and made Wales the very last team to qualify.
Names to know:
Joe Allen (Swansea City) — The 32-year-old has 72 caps1 and 199 Premier League appearances to his name, including 60 starts in his four seasons with Liverpool. Allen started all but one game during qualifying and every game at last summer's Euros (Euro 2020). He returned to his boyhood club this season after spending the last decade with Liverpool and Stoke City.
Gareth Bale (LAFC) — Bale is easily the most accomplished Welsh player ever from both a national team and club perspective. He is Wales’ most-capped player as well as the country’s all-time leading goalscorer2. Then there are his five Champions League titles and three La Liga titles, plus a Premier League Player of the Season award. It was only fitting that his free kick sent his country to the World Cup for the first time since 1958.
Dan James (Leeds United) — James has made himself an indispensable member of the Welsh squad, starting all four games at Euro 2020 and playing a team-high 862 minutes during World Cup qualifying. Only he and Bale recorded multiple goals and multiple assists during qualifying. James has scored 10 Premier League goals in his time with Manchester United and Leeds United.
Aaron Ramsey (Nice) — Ramsey will become Wales’ second-most capped men’s player with just 13 more appearances for his country. Three more goals puts him in third on the all-time goals list behind Bale and Ian Rush3. The longtime Arsenal midfielder played all but seven minutes of Euro 2020 and joined Nice -- his third club this calendar year -- during the summer transfer window.
Joe Rodon (Stade Rennais) — Rodon was the only outfield player to be on the field for every minute of last summer’s Euros and started eight times during World Cup qualifying. He made eight starts for Tottenham in the 2020-21 Premier League season but saw just 519 minutes of playing time across all competitions in 2021-22, prompting a loan move to Rennes for the 2022-23 campaign.
Potential breakout star: Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest)
Perhaps no Welsh player raised their stock more during qualifying than Williams, who recorded a goal and an assist in seven starts. The 21-year-old did make three appearances at Euro 2020 but only logged 137 minutes. He was never able to become a regular contributor at Liverpool and left his boyhood club to join newly promoted Nottingham Forest ahead of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign. The move couldn’t have come at a better time as he prepares to play a major role in Qatar.
The bottom line
Reason for optimism: Tournament success
This is the fourth major tournament Wales have qualified for, and they’ve advanced past the group stage in the previous three. Their ability to absorb pressure and counterattack makes them incredibly dangerous in knockout settings.
Biggest question: How much support do the stars get?
Bale and Ramsey have accounted for five of their 12 goals at the last two European Championships. Hal Robson-Kanu and others delivered in big moments during their run to the semifinals of Euro 2016. The support wasn’t there last summer, and they got blasted by Denmark in the round of 16. This is the best supporting cast Bale and Ramsey have played with. It needs to deliver.
Here’s the deal:
It’s not an accident that they perform every time they make a major tournament, and Gareth Bale should have a decent amount of help. Don’t be surprised if they find a way to steal a game they have no business winning and cause some chaos in Group B.