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    Cymru vs. Kazakhstan | 2026 FIFA World Cup – European Qualifiers – Group J

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        Live Report

        1. Bellamy embraces World Cup expectancy

          Cymru head coach never appeared at the finals of a major tournament during his own international playing career, but welcomes the expectation on his squad of players through what they have already experienced.

          “I can just sit back and let them do it!” explained Bellamy when he spoke to the media on Friday afternoon. “It’s so valuable. Their calmness with it as well, they’ve been there.”

          The qualifying campaign to the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins for Bellamy in Cardiff this evening against Kazakhstan, and with just a few tickets remaining, there will be another special atmosphere in the capital to support a team still undefeated under their new head coach.

          “But also the crowd,” Bellamy added. “They’ve been there as well. It’s so important because they’ve got to experience major tournaments. When we say ‘Together Stronger’, it’s everyone.

          “I expect expectations, I welcome them. I’d be concerned if we didn’t have them. I’ve never tried to play them down but, at the same time, we have to play our game, no matter what goes on.”

        4. Bellamy calls on players to enjoy the game

          Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy also spoke to the media in Friday afternoon ahead of the opening 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan.

          “We had a meeting on Monday about what we learnt from the Nations League campaign and its been about reinforcing those messages,” he explained. “I’ve been really impressed with them this week and I’m excited about what’s to come.

          “I want players to be to express themselves, and if you have the ball at your feet it will show a true version of you. We allow players to take responsibility. I want them to feel free to express themselves with the ball. Without the ball, you have to able to work for the team, and all these elements allow you to enjoy the ball. But if you cannot work without the ball, this is not the environment for you.”

          Bellamy also spoke about Saturday’s opponents and the qualifying campaign ahead. “It’s a tough game,” he added. “What we’ve seen of them doesn’t change my opinion. We know the goal, we know where we want to go to, but it won’t be done tomorrow night. We can’t look too far ahead because it can become overwhelming. It’s one step at a time, and that’s life, not just football. We have to take care of tomorrow.

          “Enjoy it, that’s the message. I wish I had enjoyed my career more. This is everything. If you cannot enjoy this, why would you put yourself in this position. Sometimes you get caught up in the games and competition for places and you forget how good this is. I’m grateful for this opportunity and grateful to be back at this level.”

        5. Davies excited for new campaign

          Defender Ben Davies sat down with the media on Friday as he once again prepares to lead the team out as captain on Saturday night.

          “It does feel different with a World Cup at the end of it,” said Davies. “To be back with this group of boys, we’re really excited, we’re aware of what’s at the end of the campaign and we’re looking forward to getting back on the pitch.”

          Davies was part of the Cymru squad that reached the 2022 FIFA World Cup but failed to make it through the group stages. “It’s something that sticks with me,” he explained. “It was disappointing in Qatar that we didn’t show on the world stage how good we can be, so the hunger is there to do it again.

          “Every game at international level is a tough game. Were aware of the expectations and we know that we have to be at our best to win this game. Its a cliché, but it’s just one game at a time. Were purely focused on Kazakhstan and the game on Saturday night.”

        7. Meet the Ref

          Donatas Rumšas will take charge of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Cymru and Kazakhstan in Cardiff on Saturday.

          The 37-year old from Lithuania refereed his first international match in 2019 as Norway claimed a 2-0 win against the Faroe Islands, and since then he has been a regular appointment on UEFA club and international fixtures.

          This season, Rumšas has taken charge of matches in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League together with the UEFA Nations League. His last international match was back in November as Portugal claimed a 5-1 win over Poland.

          Aleksandr Radiuš and Dovydas Sužiedėlis are the assistant referees while Manfredas Lukjančukas is the fourth official. Donatas Šimenas will be the VAR and he will be assisted by Orestas Abramavicius. All of the officials are from Lithuania.

        10. Long-awaited win for Kazakhstan

          Kazakhstan received a timely boost ahead of Saturday’s opening 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cymru by claiming their first victory since November 2023.

          Goals from Maksim Samorodov and Askhat Tagybergen proved be the difference for Kazakhstan as they claimed a 2-0 friendly victory over Curaçao in Antalya on Wednesday evening

          Meanwhile, Cardiff City have confirmed that Cymru captain Aaron Ramsey has undergone hamstring surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.

        12. Williams highlights Cymru family mentality

          Cymru defender Neco Williams sat down with the media earlier this week and spoke about how the squad take care of new players coming into the senior environment.

          “For us lads who have played more games, any little advice we can give will definitely help them because we know how it feels,” said Williams. “It was exactly the same for me, any advice I could get from the older lads when I first joined definitely helped me.

          “It might not just be on the pitch stuff, it would be off the pitch stuff as well. Any new lads who come in are going to be new to camp, it’s new surroundings, new teammates, it could be a little bit much for them.”

          Still only 23-years old, Williams has been involved in the senior Cymru squad for the last four years and has established himself as a key player in the side, making 44 senior appearances and scoring four goals.

          “Our job is just to let them know that we’re a close, close team,” he added. “We’re kind of like a family here, so you don’t need to worry, you don’t need to be scared, or nervous. Just enjoy it.”

        14. Prepared

          The Cymru squad were back on the training ground this morning ahead of the first match of the new qualifying campaign.

          All 26 players in Craig Bellamy’s squad for the double-header against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia were taking part in the session at the team base.

          Tickets for the match against Kazakhstan at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday can be purchased online here.

        16. Lawrence delight at Cymru return

          Tom Lawrence sat down with the media on Tuesday afternoon and spoke about his return to the national team for the first time in four years.

          “Sometimes I thought I wouldn’t play for Wales again,” Lawrence explained. “But this manager has been brilliant since he came in. He rang me when he first got the job and he’s kept in contact ever since. It was refreshing to hear him speak about how he wants to play and his philosophy. It was good on that front.”

          Now 31, Lawrence made his Cymru debut back in 2015, but missed out on a place in the squad for EURO 2016 through injury. “On the last day of training camp we had a game and I did my ankle ligament,” he explained. “So that was a bitter one to swallow. There was a divot in the pitch, I was sprinting and my ankle completely rolled.”

          However, following his last appearance in a friendly against Mexico in March 2021, Lawrence was not selected again under former head coach Rob Page and subsequently missed out on two major tournaments as Cymru qualified for the next EURO and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

          “I’d love to be a part of tournaments. It’s about looking forward and I think the manager has brought a whole new identity to Wales and it’s refreshing to see.”

          Click here to read more from Tom Lawrence on BBC Sport Wales

        18. James on tough challenges ahead

          Dan James sat down with the media at the Cymru team base on Tuesday afternoon to look ahead to the new qualifying campaign.

          “I think there’s always a big expectation and that expectation is there now,” James explained. “We know what we have to do to get there, we’ve been there before and we’ve just got to take that experience and bring it on to this campaign.

          “It’s never easy, it’s really tough. We’re going to go to some really tough places as well and we know what we’ve got to do. We believe we’re good enough, but we know we’ve got to go and show that on the pitch.”

        20. Preparations continue

          The Cymru squad were enjoying the Cardiff sunshine earlier today as preparations continue ahead of the opening 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan on Saturday.

          Tickets for the match at the Cardiff City Stadium can still be purchased online here.

        22. Bellamy on World Cup pain and inspiration

          Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy sat down with the media last week to reflect on his World Cup memories and the pain of missing out on an appearance on the world stage as a player.

          “I’ve got to be honest, we weren’t good enough to qualify,” he explained. “I never thought we were ever a team that was going to be able to qualify. Even if we had all the luck in the world, we still didn’t have enough quality, I don’t feel.”

          However, Bellamy was already seen a very different dynamic in the current squad. “I see a lot more,” he added. “And they proved that, they’ve done it before. That helps because they’ve got experience of qualifying. I just want to win this group but I can’t look that far ahead. I know you would love me to be able to say that but, I think if I live in the real world, it’s one step at a time.”

          Bellamy also reflected on his earliest World Cup memories and the players of that era who inspired him, and while Gary Lineker’s performances for England in 1986 sowed the initial seeds, it was the Italian duo of Roberto Baggio and Toto Schillaci in 1990 that set him on the path to the professional game.

          “That World Cup, at the time as a kid, I wasn’t sure which way I wanted to go,” Bellamy explained. “Did I want to be with my friends mostly? I knew that path wasn’t going to take me to being a footballer. I think spending a month watching nearly every game. It was ‘give me that, I want to be a footballer’.”

          Click here for the full interview on BBC Sport Wales

        25. The Road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup

          Cymru will start their journey towards qualifying for the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup this weekend when they kick-off the new campaign against Kazakhstan in Cardiff.

          A total of 48 nations will compete at the 2026 finals, an increase from 32 at the last World Cup in Qatar, with UEFA members making up 16 of the 48 competing nations. Cymru have been drawn in Group J alongside Belgium, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia and Saturday’s opponents Kazakhstan.

          The 12 group winners will qualify automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the 12 group runners-up entering a play-off to decide the remaining four places. The four highest-ranked teams from the last edition of the UEFA Nations League who do not finish in the top two of their group will also enter the play-offs.

          The increase in participating nations means that all six FIFA confederations will be guaranteed at least one nation at the finals when they take place between 11 June and 19 July next year. The three host nations qualify automatically and the 104 matches will be played across 16 host cities, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final taking place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

          Cymru have previously qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals on two occasions. Their first appearance was in 1958 when Jimmy Murphy’s side reached the quarter-finals, but there would be a 64-year wait before Rob Page emulated the achievement by taking Cymru to the 2022 finals in Qatar where they failed to make it past the group stage.

          Tickets for the match against Kazakhstan can be purchased here.

        27. Squad arrivals

          The Cymru squad arrived at the team base on Sunday evening ahead of the opening two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia.

          Cymru take on Kazakhstan in Cardiff on Saturday evening (19:45) and tickets are available to buy online here. The squad then head to Skopje on Tuesday night.

          Head coach Craig Bellamy remains undefeated since his appointment last summer and guided Cymru to promotion in the UEFA Nations League in his first campaign.

        29. Craig Bellamy’s World Cup qualifying goals

          Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy scored 19 goals during his international playing career, with two of those strikes in FIFA World Cup qualifying.

          Bellamy scored his third goal for his country in a 3-2 defeat to Norway in Oslo back in September 2001. Norway were 2-0 ahead at that time as Bellamy reduced the deficit, with two former Cymru managers involved in the build-up to the goal.

          Rob Page played a free-kick forward from his own half on 28 minutes. John Hartson won the ball in the area and played in Ryan Giggs, but his effort was saved and parried into the path of Bellamy to score.

          Bellamy’s next goal in World Cup qualifying for Cymru was his 17th in total and came against Finland in October 2009. Cymru were 1-0 down in Helsinki when David Vaughan crossed the ball for Bellamy to score from close range, but the home side would claim all three points with a 2-1 victory.

        30. First meeting

          This will be the first-ever match between Cymru and Kazakhstan as both nations look to make a positive start to the new qualifying campaign.

          Kazakhstan only became a UEFA member in 2002 having previously competed as a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 1992. Their first UEFA qualifying campaign was for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but it proved to be a difficult introduction as they earned just one point from 12 games, drawing 0-0 with Georgia in Tbilisi.

          It was one year ago today, 14 March 2024, that Kazakhstan registered their last victory as goals from Islam Chesnokov and Aleksandr Zuev earned the side a 2-0 friendly win over Turkmenistan in Dubai. Since then, they have drawn two and suffered 10 defeats in 12 games.

        32. Squad announcement

          Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy announced his squad on Wednesday for the opening two games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

          Kazakhstan are the first opponents in Cardiff on Saturday, 22 March before the side head to North Macedonia the following Tuesday. Bellamy will be without five injured in players in Harry Wilson, Ethan Ampadu, Wes Burns, Rhys Norrington-Davies and captain Aaron Ramsey.

          “Rejigging the squad, it’s nothing uncommon,” said Bellamy when asked about the enforced absentees. “We’ve got good players. There will be players coming in, players going out, there’s no excuses and that’s why we used so many players in the last group of games, to be prepared for these scenarios. And we are prepared.”

          Tom Lawrence has been added to the squad for the first time since March 2021, while there is also a first senior call-up for 18-year old midfielder Kai Andrews who is currently on-loan at Motherwell from Coventry City.

          Tickets for the match against Kazakhstan can be bought here.

          Enter our competition before midnight on Sunday, 16 March and you could win two tickets for the match. Click here to enter.

        34. Live report coming soon

        Lineups

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                Referee

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