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

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        Live ReportMatch Summary

        3. 🗣️ Craig Bellamy talks about the team’s mentality.

        4. 🗣️ Brooks came on as a second-half substitute. He provided his post-match reaction to BBC Wales.

        5. 🗣️ Rodon provides his post-match reaction after scoring his first international goal.

        6. Match Summary

          Cymru produced a professional performance to break down a Liechtenstein team who were looking to put as many players as possible behind the ball to deny goalscoring opportunities. As expected, Cymru enjoyed a lot of possession and goals were inevitable.

          Craig Bellamy’s team had to wait until the 40th minute to break the deadlock after Benjamin Büchel pulled off a series of wonderful saves to frustrate the Cymru attack. He denied Brennan Johnson with a wonderful one-handed save before denying an audacious overhead kick from Ethan Ampadu from a corner.

          Rodon could smell blood and he got his first international goal when Sorba Thomas crossed the ball into the box from a corner that the Cymru defender powerfully headed in to finally breach Büchel’s goal line.

          During the first half Bellamy was dealt a blow as Neco Williams was forced off the pitch when he twisted awkwardly after chasing the ball down in the Liechtenstein box. He left the pitch on a stretcher and will be a doubt for the next match against Belgium.

          Jay Dasilva replaced Williams and he got an assist during the second half when he crossed into the box for Wilson’s run. The King of Corwen headed in to score on his turn to Cymru duty following injury.

          Kieffer Moore worked tirelessly up front and was rewarded when he scored the third to secure Cymru’s place at the top of the qualifying group.

          Bellamy takes his Cymru team to Belgium on Monday (9 June), who played their first game of the qualifiers in Skopje where they drew 1-1 against North Macedonia. Get all the build-up and follow updates in the match centre by clicking here.

        7. The current group standings.

        8. Full-time Summary

          It’s a case of job done for Cymru as they broke down Liechtenstein’s resistance before half-time when Joe Rodon scored his first international goal. More goals seemed inevitable during the second half and they came as Harry Wilson netted upon his return for Cymru and Kieffer Moore added the third for a convincing win.

          There will be concern about the fitness of Neco Williams after he was withdrawn through injury but Jay Dasilva came off the bench to deputise and Lewis Koumas, another substitute, looked very lively on the left side of attack with Liechtenstein putting three players on him whenever he received the ball.

          Cymru now top the group for their visit to Belgium on Monday, who drew 1-1 against North Macedonia in Skopje tonight.

        9. 📸 Since coming on, Lewis Koumas has looked very lively.

        10. 90'

          Substitution

          Emanuel Zünd replaces Aron Sele

        11. 83'

          Yellow card

          SHEEHAN Joshua Luke

        12. 📸 Moore has worked tirelessly throughout the game and deserves his goal.

        13. 📸 Harry Wilson scores on his comeback for Cymru.

        14. 75'

          Jordan James comes close to heading in a fourth for Cymru.

        15. 73'

          Substitution

          Andrin Netzer replaces Simon Lüchinger

        16. 73'

          Yellow card

          Villiam Pizzi

        17. 73'

          Substitution

          JAMES Jordan Anthony replaces WILSON Harry

        20. 70'

          Substitution

          Andreas Malin replaces Fabio Luque Notaro

        21. 69'

          GÖL!!!!

          Moore scores Cymru’s third goal after an assist from Brooks.

        22. 68'

          Goal

          MOORE Kieffer Roberto Francisco

        23. 65'

          Goal

          WILSON Harry

        24. 65'

          GÔL!!!!

          Wilson is back! He gets himself on the end of Dasilva’s cross to head into the goal.

        25. 64'

          Substitution

          SHEEHAN Joshua Luke replaces AMPADU Ethan

        26. 64'

          Substitution

          KOUMAS Lewis replaces THOMAS Sorba

        27. 64'

          Substitution

          BROOKS David replaces JOHNSON Brennan

        28. 57'

          Johnson crosses into the box where Moore jumps to meet it. As the home crowd gasp, Moore puts his header wide. Another great chance for Cymru.

        29. 📸 Sorba Thomas is enjoying his time down the left wing.

        30. 54'

          Johnson squares a lovely pass across the 6-yard box but there’s nobody on the end as the Liechtenstein defence frantically clear.

        31. 49'

          Yellow card

          Kenny Kindle

        32. 47'

          Thomas forces a corner kick for Cymru.

        33. 46'

          Substitution

          Villiam Pizzi replaces Ferhat Saglam

        34. 46'

          Substitution

          Kenny Kindle replaces Livio Meier

        35. 46'

          Cymru get the second half underway. Can they find another goal?

        36. Half-time Summary

          Joe Rodon broke the deadlock in the first-half with his first international goal.

          As expected, Cymru dominated possession as Liechtenstein put bodies behind the ball to keep their opponents at bay. Cymru created plenty of chances but Benjamin Büchel pulled off some spectacular saves to keep his team in the tie. One of those saves was from an overhead kick from Ethan Ampadu at a corner.

          Craig Bellamy was dealt a concerning blow during the half however, as Neco Williams was forced off the pitch through injury. Bellamy will now await a medical assessment before knowing whether Williams will be part of his squad going to Belgium for their next World Cup qualifier on Monday (9 June).

        37. 📸 Joe Rodon enjoyed that one.

        38. 45' + 1'

          Moore nearly back heels the ball over the goal line.

        40. 40'

          Goal

          RODON Joseph

        41. 40'

          GÔL!!!!!

          Rodon smashes a header into the back of the net from a Cymru corner.

        42. 38'

          The ball is in the back of the net but Roberts is offside.

        43. 📸 Liechtenstein goalkeeper Benjamin Büchel is certainly keeping Liechtenstein in this game.

        44. 34'

          Büchel again! Rodon attempts an audacious overhead kick from a corner but the Liechtenstein goalkeeper pulls off another brilliant save.

        45. 29'

          Büchel pulls off a wonderful one-handed save to deny Johnson with a shot across the goal.

        46. 24'

          Substitution

          DASILVA Jay Rhys replaces WILLIAMS Neco

        47. 24'

          Williams is forced off through injury and has been replaced by Dasilva.

        48. 23'

          A rare attack from the visitors sees Saglam in possession deep in the Cymru half but Davies meets him with a sliding challenge to take the ball from him.

        49. 22'

          Moore is through on goal and has the keeper to beat but Büchel’s sprawling save sees him smother the ball.

        50. 20'

          Williams is in need of medical treatment after challenging for the ball in the Liechtenstein box. The game continues as he fell off the field of play.

        51. 16'

          Davies plays a searching pass forward towards the run of Roberts but he’s beaten to the ball by Büchel.

        52. 📸 The Cymru line-up.

        53. 11'

          Cymru are showing lots of attacking intent.

        54. 10'

          Williams takes strike from distance but the effort is hit into Büchel’s arms.

        55. 9'

          Liechtenstein are unable to hold on to possession.

        56. 7'

          The Liechtenstein defence clear the corner but Cymru are back on the attach. Thomas’ cross into the box is smothered by Büchel in the Liechtenstein goal.

        57. 6'

          Corner for Cymru after Thomas steals the ball from a defender.

        58. 4'

          Wilson has a sight at goal and takes a punt but his shot goes wide.

        59. 3'

          The home crowd is expectant here against Liechtenstein as Roberts nearly sets Johnson free.

        60. 1'

          KICK OFF!

          Liechtenstein get us underway.

        61. Harry Wilson returns for Cymru having been absent through injury.

        62. All smiles 😃 C’mon Cymru! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

        64. The team has arrived at Cardiff City Stadium.

        67. Cymru Starting XI

          Craig Bellamy’s starting XI for this evening’s game has been revealed and it sees the return of Ethan Ampadu and Harry Wilson.

        69. The stadium is ready for today’s FIFA World Cup qualifier.

        70. Paper round

          The message from Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy makes the front pages this morning as his side prepare to take on Liechtenstein at the Cardiff City Stadium.

          Cymru have defeated Liechtenstein in each of their three previous matches with tonight’s opponents still yet to score in this fixture. Despite being ranked 205th in the world, Bellamy was warned his players against complacency heading into this important 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. By comparison, Cymru are 29th in the official FIFA rankings.

          Cymru welcome back Harry Wilson and Ethan Ampadu to the squad although Daniel James has withdrawn through illness while captain Aaron Ramsey remains a long-term absentee.

        73. Davies focused on Liechtenstein challenge

          Cymru defender Ben Davies will lead his side out against Liechtenstein on Friday night and appreciates the potential problems that lower-ranked opposition can cause.

          “We’re at home, we’ll probably have a lot of possession, but these games sometimes never go as straightforward as you want them to,” he explained to the media on Thursday afternoon. “So we have to make sure we’re focused, we’re at our best and we’re determined to go out there and put a good performance in.”

          Davies arrived on camp with Brennan Johnson as a UEFA Europa League winners with Tottenham Hotspur, but his focus is only on the next challenge in the colours of his country.

          “They’re tough games,” Davies added. “The longer they go on and the score is 0-0, it can feel like you start to force things, you put more pressure on yourself. But we’ve worked a lot on that this week and we have to stick to our processes and stick to our plans.

          “We’ve got an idea of what we’re expecting to come up against and what we need to do to win this game.”

        75. No complacency from Bellamy

          Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy completed a rain-soaked final training session earlier today and spoke to the media about the challenge awaiting his side on Friday night against Liechtenstein in Cardiff.

          “Win the game, that is it,” said Bellamy. “I don’t care about scorelines, I don’t care about this, I don’t care about that. Do I understand people looking past it? Of course I do. Do I understand people believing we should win? Of course I do.

          “But I was up late last night. I didn’t sleep well. Does that tell you something? I treat every team the same. I’ve watched the same amount of games on Liechtenstein as I have for every other team. My psyche can’t work any differently. I honestly believe if you disrespect the game it will catch you out.”

          Liechtenstein head to Cardiff looking for their first points of the campaign following home defeats to North Macedonia and Kazakhstan while Cymru are undefeated, but Bellamy will not be taking Konrad Fünfstück’s side lightly.

          “We’ve prepared for Liechtenstein as we did for Türkiye and everyone else,” Bellamy added. “The consistency is us. How we work has to remain. It doesn’t matter who we play against. Every game gives us an opportunity to progress. Can we improve? Can we get better? It’s the same tomorrow night.”

        76. James ruled out of Liechtenstein test

          Cymru will be without Daniel James for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein on Friday night due to illness.

          “Unfortunately he picked up an illness so we’ve had to separate him from the group,” explained head coach Craig Bellamy to the media on Thursday afternoon.

          “We can’t afford to have any other players infected of course. We’re monitoring him and monitoring the situation, but we’ve got cover. It’s OK.”

          James could return for the match against Belgium in Brussels on Monday.

        78. Why you might hear a familiar tune during Cymru v Liechtenstein

          As Cymru prepare to face Liechtenstein, some fans may be surprised to hear a familiar tune before kick-off, the melody of God Save the King, the national anthem of England. However, it’s worth knowing that Liechtenstein’s national anthem, Oben am jungen Rhein (“High on the Young Rhine”), is set to the very same melody.

          Liechtenstein adopted the anthem in the 19th century. The true composer of the tune is unknown, though several names have been suggested over the centuries. While God Save the King became associated with British composer Thomas Arne in the 18th century (he arranged it for performance in London in 1745), he is not believed to have written the melody. Some historians have attributed the tune to have been composed in Germany.

          Oben am jungen Rhein pays tribute to the Rhine River, which forms the western border of Liechtenstein, and celebrates the country’s sovereignty and loyalty to its ruling Prince. While it shares the tune with God Save the King, the lyrics are entirely distinct and specifically reference Liechtenstein’s national identity and heritage.

          So, when the anthem plays, it’s not a case of mistaken allegiance, just one of those quirks of international football history.

        79. Meet the Ref

          Anastasios Papapetrou will take charge of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Cymru and Liechtenstein at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday night.

          The 40-year-old from Greece has been a FIFA referee since 2016 and has taken charge of a number of European club and international fixtures as well as fixtures in the Greek Super League.

          Tryfon Petropoulos and Iordanis Aptosoglou are the assistant referees while Alexandros Tsakalidis is the fourth official. Athanasios Tzilos is the VAR and will be assisted by Stefanos Koumparakis. All of the officials are from Greece.

        82. Preparations continue

          The Cymru squad have been on the training ground all week ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying double-header against Liechtenstein and Belgium.

          Craig Bellamy’s side currently sit second in Group J with four points following the 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan and 1-1 draw with group leaders North Macedonia back in March.

          Due to their involvement in the UEFA Nations League Play-Offs earlier this year, Belgium have not played a single game but start their campaign on Friday when they head to Skopje to take on North Macedonia. Cymru then head to Brussels on Monday evening.

        84. Matondo learning from the best in Bellamy

          Rabbi Matondo scored his first senior international goal at the start of the current qualifying campaign as Cymru claimed a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan in Cardiff, and explained to BBC Sport Wales this week how playing under head coach Craig Bellamy is already improving his game.

          “The last time I came here I felt like I improved tactically, my positioning, stuff like that, the details of the game,” explained the 24-year-old. “He knows the role of an attacker, and obviously him speaking to us and giving us that little piece of advice on how you can improve your game and how you can impact the game as he’s done at a high level.

          “You just have to respect it and listen. He speaks a lot of sense, so I feel like I have improved just working with him. I’m still learning under him, but I love the training sessions, I love the detail that he puts in it. The first camp was difficult, adjusting to everything, but I enjoyed it.”

        87. Cabango on Bellamy ahead of World Cup test

          Cymru defender Ban Cabango spoke to the media earlier this week and explained the difference head coach Craig Bellamy has made since his appointment ahead of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium.

          “From his first meeting you could tell how much he wanted to achieve here – big things – and straight away he wanted to drill things into us,” said Cabango. “I feel like he’s not laid off that one bit. We’re not here for a large amount of time so it’s quite intense when we are here.

          “Everyone in the squad has taken that very well, and in that short time you can see the improvements he has made in the squad. Every camp he makes sure we keep developing. I feel since he’s come in he’s given everyone an opportunity.”

          Click here for the full article on the BBC Sport Wales website

        89. Wilson not taking Liechtenstein for granted

          Harry Wilson makes a welcome return to the Cymru squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium and spoke to the media on Monday about the challenges ahead.

          “International football has shown many times over the years that here are no easy games and although on paper people will think we should win that game [v Liechtenstein] comfortably, we still have to go out there and perform,” Wilson explained.

          “For us to look ahead to Belgium before getting that game done would be silly, but going into this camp six points is definitely the aim. “We’ve gone eight games unbeaten since the manager’s come in and to do at international level is not easy at all.

          “It shows what a good team we are. The style we’re playing now, both on the ball and off the ball, suits a lot of players in this team and that’s why we’re on such a good run.”

        92. Previous meetings

          Cymru have a perfect record against Liechtenstein heading into Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Cardiff City Stadium having won all three games against their opponents without conceding a single goal.

          The first meeting between the two nations took place in November 2006 in Wrexham as Cymru registered a 4-0 friendly victory. Jason Koumas scored twice in the opening half before current Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy (below) increased the advantage on 77 minutes. Chris Llewellyn then came off the bench to complete the scoring with his only senior international goal.

          The first competitive match between Cymru and Liechtenstein was in October 2008 when the two nations were drawn together in World Cup qualifying. Dave Edwards and an own goal from Mario Frick handed John Toshack’s side a 2-0 win in Cardiff, and the scoreline was repeated in the return match in Vaduz a year later through goals from David Vaughan and Aaron Ramsey.

        94. Squad announcement

          Cymru head coach Craig Bellamy welcomes Harry Wilson and Ethan Ampadu back to the squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium.

          Also included in the 27-man squad is Cardiff City teenager Ronan Kpakio and Bellamy explained how he is excited about the potential of the right-back following the recent training camp in Spain.

          Ben Davies and Brennan Johnson return to international action following their UEFA Europa League triumph with Tottenham Hotspur while the Leeds United quartet of Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Daniel James and Karl Darlow head into the international window having claimed the Championship title.

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        96. There is no live report available for this match

        Lineups

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          Substitutes

            Starting

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                Table

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                Match Info

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                Referee

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