Craig Bellamy praised Wales' impressive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia, describing it as nearly flawless. This win secured Wales a spot in the World Cup play-offs. Both teams entered their final qualifier
tied on 13 points, with Belgium already qualified for next year's tournament. Bellamy's squad kept their World Cup dreams alive with Harry Wilson's hat-trick leading the charge.
Harry Wilson opened the scoring with a penalty, followed by David Brooks adding another goal. Although Bojan Miovski scored for North Macedonia, Wales responded strongly. Brennan Johnson and Dan James each found the net before Wilson completed his hat-trick. Nathan Broadhead also scored late in the game. This marked only the fifth time Wales scored seven or more goals in a match, last achieving this feat in October 1978 against Malta.
Bellamy expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, noting how they effectively used the ball and timed their plays well. "We didn't play with a forward; we had three number 10s," he explained to BBC Match of the Day Wales. The strategy involved dragging opponents out of position and connecting wide players effectively, resulting in clean ball use and numerous scoring opportunities.
Reflecting on the match, Bellamy shared his pre-game message to the players about enjoying the game and exploiting their strengths against North Macedonia's style. "I said to them at the end, I am not a perfect person. But maybe I take a little bit of that back, because that was as close to the perfect performance as I have seen," he stated.
England and Scotland have already secured their spots in next year's World Cup, with Scotland qualifying for the first time in 28 years. Bellamy hopes this achievement will inspire Wales to join them. "We'll adapt [for the play-offs]," he added, acknowledging that challenging teams remain in contention.
"Big congratulations to Scotland tonight as well," Bellamy said. He expressed his admiration for home nations' success and emphasized his desire for Wales to be part of it too.
Wilson's Remarkable Form
Since early 2024, Wilson has contributed significantly to Wales' success with nine goals and four assists, more than any other player for the team during this period. His hat-trick against North Macedonia brought his international goal tally to 18, placing him eighth on Wales' all-time scorers list.
Wilson shared his thoughts after the match: "We wanted to show how good a team we are. " He acknowledged disappointment from their previous game against Liechtenstein despite dominating possession but emphasized their determination to demonstrate both possession skills and scoring ability.
The victory over North Macedonia showcased Wales' potential as they aim for World Cup qualification alongside England and Scotland. With tactical brilliance and standout performances like Wilson's hat-trick, they remain hopeful of joining these home nations on football's biggest stage.
