Cymru are two victories at the Cardiff City Stadium away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Craig Bellamy’s side prepare to host Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday, 26 March (KO 19:45).
A Cymru win will setup a winner-takes-all decider against Northern Ireland or Italy the following Tuesday in the Welsh capital for a place at the World Cup finals this summer. Bellamy’s side will be backed by a capacity crowd and home advantage has proved significant for Cymru in the past.
Ahead of this huge week of international football, we take a look back at five famous results and performances at the Cardiff City Stadium that hold a special place in the modern history of the Cymru national team.
Cymru 2-1 Scotland – 12 October 2012 – FIFA World Cup qualifying
Less than a year since the devastating loss of Gary Speed, Cymru were still searching for their first victory under his successor Chris Coleman. The young squad continued to struggle with the emotion of representing their country under the shadow of Speed’s untimely passing, but the healing process was about to begin.
James Morrison had put Scotland ahead after 27 minutes in what was the third match of the qualifying campaign. However, Gareth Bale was tripped in the area with less than 10 minutes remaining and duly converted the resulting penalty.
It was a much-needed boost for the players and the fans, but there was still much more to come. In the final minute of the match, Bale charged forward against the torrential rain and Scottish defence before drilling a perfect shot from 25-yards into the top corner of the net to seal the win.
The goal brought an outpouring of emotion from the players, the fans and Coleman himself as he sprinted down the touchline. A close friend of Speed, this was the moment that meant more than the three points that his team has finally delivered. Cymru were finally ready to move forward into a new and exciting era.
Cymru 1-0 Belgium – 12 June 2015 – UEFA EURO qualifying
Although the last campaign had ended in disappointment, there was a genuine positivity and belief heading into EURO 2016 qualification as Belgium arrived at the Cardiff City Stadium for this decisive Group B match. The feel-good factor of an undefeated start to the campaign was also evident in that a capacity crowd were in attendance as Coleman’s side looked to end a 58-year wait for a major tournament.
Belgium boasted a squad of world class talent, but it was Bale on his 50th Cymru cap that proved to be the difference on an intense summer night. A misplaced header from Radja Nainggolan on 25 minutes found Bale in space inside the Belgian area and he calmly slotted the ball through the legs of Thibaut Courtois.
Euphoria followed as the stadium erupted, but Cymru still had it all to do to see this one through to the end. Jazz Richards put in his best performance for his country to neutralise Eden Hazard, while Wayne Hennessey was in fine form to support a Cymru defence that worked relentlessly, buoyed by the impromptu national anthem that rang around the stadium on 70 minutes.
Cymru held on for a famous victory in a campaign that defined what would become the golden generation. Coleman guided his side to France a year later and Cymru would defy the odds by reaching the semi-finals of EURO 2016 before being eliminated by eventual winners Portugal. Of course, Belgium were again defeated at the quarter-final stage.
Cymru 1-0 Ukraine – 5 June 2022 – FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off final
Cymru had not appeared at the FIFA World Cup since Jimmy Murphy’s side reached the quarter-final in 1958. Generations of talented players had tried and failed to repeat that achievement during the next few decades, but Cymru would always fall short, often through the finest of margins denying them a return to the world stage.
The wait would come to an end in 2022. Like Murphy, head coach Rob Page hailed from the Rhondda, and having disposed of Austria in the play-off semi-final, Ukraine stood between Cymru and a place at the Qatar World Cup. Bale had scored both goals against Austria, and the team talisman would prove to be the hero once again.
On 34 minutes, Bale’s free-kick effort was deflected by Ukraine captain Andriy Yarmolenko into the net. Bale would claim the goal as his own and it would be the goal that ended their 64-year World Cup wait. At the other end of the field, Hennessey made an incredible nine saves, more than any other goalkeeper throughout the entire qualifying campaign.
“It’s the greatest result in the history of Welsh football,” said Bale after the match. “We’re going to a World Cup! Words can’t describe how we feel at the moment. I’m just delighted we are going to a World Cup. It means everything, it’s what dreams are made of. I’m speechless. I’m so glad we’ve done it for these amazing fans.”
Cymru 2-1 Croatia – 15 October 2023 – UEFA EURO qualifying
While Cymru would ultimately underperform at the Qatar World Cup, Croatia would finish third having consistently impressed as one of Europe’s best teams over the last decade. Inspired by the brilliance of Luka Modrić, this would be a serious test for a Cymru side still adapting to Bale’s retirement in a period of transition for the national team.
With pressure increasing on Page, only a positive result in this toughest of tests would keep Cymru in contention for automatic qualification for a third successive EURO finals. The stars aligned for Harry Wilson on the night, making his 50th senior appearance 10-years to the day since his debut at the age of just 16, the striker scored twice to seal the win.
Wilson opened the scoring on 47 minutes as he calmly lifted the ball over the head of goalkeeper Dominik Livaković and then doubled the lead on the hour mark with a superb header from a cross by Dan James. Although Croatia would score a consolation goal, Cymru held on for what was a deserved victory on an exceptional night.
“It’s one of our best performances, definitely,” said Page after the match. “The point we had in Croatia was outstanding, but that tonight was another level. We knew we would have to suffer without the ball and that they would have a high percentage of possession, but the boys were outstanding.”
Cymru 7-1 North Macedonia – 18 November 2025 – FIFA World Cup qualifying
This was the night that sealed home advantage for Cymru in the play-off semi-final as Wilson celebrated wearing the captain’s armband for the first time by scoring his first senior international hat-trick in a resounding win for Bellamy’s side.
Wilson was outstanding on the night as Cymru inflicted a first defeat of the qualifying campaign on North Macedonia and opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 18 minutes. David Brooks and Brennan Johnson would add their names to the scoresheet either side of a goal for the visitors before half-time.
Cymru continued to dominate the match after the restart with Dan James increasing the advantage before Wilson added two more to complete his history-making night. Nathan Broadhead then came off the bench to complete the scoring to bring the campaign to a close with what was a near-perfect performance.
“I really enjoyed it,” said Bellamy to BBC Match of the Day Wales after the match. “I said to them at the end, I am not a perfect person, I haven’t come across anyone who is. But maybe I take a little bit of that back because that was as close to the perfect performance as I have seen. That was incredible.”
