Belgium vs Wales

King Baudouin Stadium sets the stage for a handsomely-looking 2026 World Cup qualifier between Belgium and Wales. 

Belgium’s World Cup qualifying campaign didn’t start as expected as they conceded a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw against North Macedonia last weekend. Already six points adrift of table-topping Wales, the Belgians must play catch-up on their upcoming rivals. But with two games in hand, their hopes of securing automatic qualifications remain alive. Indeed, Rudi Garcia’s men are seeking a fourth consecutive appearance in the World Cup finals, and after going unbeaten in three previous qualifying cycles (W23, D5), they seem in a perfect position to win here. Despite Garcia’s mixed three-game start in the dugout (W1, D1, L1) and Belgium’s poor run of two defeats from their last three home outings, there’s a positive sign. They’ve not kept a clean sheet in six previous meetings with Wales but haven’t lost any of the last four (W2, D2).

On the other hand, vying for the one spot that guarantees automatic qualification, Wales have enjoyed an impressive start to their Group J journey. Except for a 1-1 draw against North Macedonia, they’ve won their two remaining qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan, netting precisely three goals on both occasions. As a result, they started this round at the top of the standings while extending their unbeaten run under Craig Bellamy to nine matches (W5, D4). It’s also worth noting that their last three wins came via multi-goal margins, suggesting they have what it takes to post their first win over Belgium since beating them 3-1 in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.