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Bellamy aims high after Wales’ Nations League drawImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Wales were promoted from League B in November 2024 after going unbeaten in the first six games of Craig Bellamy’s reignByChris WathanBBC Sport WalesPublished32 minutes ago1 Comments
Craig Bellamy says Wales’ aim will be to keep their place among the elite of European football after being grouped with Portugal, Denmark and Norway in the Nations League.
The Wales boss reported he was excited at the prospect of taking on top-tier teams after returning to League A.
Full focus will have to wait until after next month’s play-off bid to reach the 2026 World Cup, with a semi-final against Bosnia on 26 March fast approaching.
But the former striker stressed that remaining in League A would be a start in realising ambitions of qualifying automatically for major finals.
“I’m very excited and actually quite happy with the draw,” Bellamy reported.
“How I look at this group is to stay in this group. We’ve dipped between A and B and in the qualifying campaigns we are second. How do we get to be number one so we’re competing for the number one spot?
“If we can stay in League A it will give us a better opportunity of being a number one seeded team that goes into qualifiers, and able to stay at number one and go straight to a tournament and not in the play-offs anymore.”
The game against Portugal will see Wales go up against the side that ended an epic Euro 2016 journey at the semi-final stage.
Bellamy reported the game against the holders will provide a stern test of how Wales can maintain the levels of possession and intensity they showed in finishing second behind Belgium to reach the World Cup play-offs.
Portugal manager, and former Swansea City boss, Roberto Martinez says he is aware of the rejuvenation under Bellamy after Wales missed out on qualification for Euro 2024 and disappointed at the 2022 World Cup.
“Wales are a national team I know very well and are close to my heart,” reported Martinez, who led Portugal to their second Nations League title a year ago.
“I know how they work, I know the passion and how much it means to them to represent the national team so the games with Wales will be really open and very competitive.
“Craig Bellamy has transmitted that feeling of taking risks, playing games eye to eye with any national team.”
Image source, Huw Evans AgencyGareth Bale’s Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo scored Portugal’s opener when they last faced Wales, the 2-0 win in the Euro 2016 semi-final
Martinez described Norway as “European football’s form team” after Manchester City striker Erilng Haaland inspired them to a flawless World Cup qualification campaign.
And Bellamy reported he had recently watched the side who will appear in this summer’s finals, admitting they and Denmark were “reasonably similar”.
“But they were all going to be tough, that’s why you’re in League A,” he added. “It’s the top 16 teams in Europe. They are good quality games which they’re going to be.”
The campaign will kick off in September, including four fixtures in a congested opening window that could test Wales’ squad.
The hope will be that it comes following a World Cup appearance in Canada, Mexico and the United States should they successfully navigate the play-offs, with either Northern Ireland or Italy final opponents if Bosnia are beaten.
Asked about whether the chance to take his country to a major finals – having never appeared there as a player – was something tempting to look ahead to, Bellamy reported: “It’s one game at a time.
“We’ve just got to beat Bosnia, that’s it. I wish I could look forward more, but I don’t.
“Bosnia is the most important, it’s a real tough game, and all my focus and energy is on that moment. The rest will take care of itself.”
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