Wales vs Kazakhstan LIVE: Craig Bellamy’s team begin World Cup qualifying campaign in Cardiff

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Wales begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign tonight as they face Kazakhstan at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Craig Bellamy’s side managed to turn around the disappointment of failing to qualify for Euro 2024 and even finished top of Nations League Group B4 last year, surpassing Turkey on the final matchday.

Former Wales captain Bellamy received plenty of plaudits for that turnaround, though he will undoubtedly feel that his first real test is to secure a place at the next World Cup.

The fact that the 2026 is the first expanded tournament means that Bellamy should have a somewhat easier job task in securing qualification, though Group J still pits Wales against Belgium, North Macedonia and Liechtenstein.

Follow all the latest build-up, team news and updates from the Cardiff City Stadium below:

Wales vs Kazakhstan LIVE: World Cup qualifier updates​

• Wales face Kazakhstan in the first match of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, with kick-off at 7.45pm
• Bellamy's side finished top of their Nations League group while Kazakhstan were bottom of theirs
• Belgium, North Macedonia and Liechtenstein are the other sides in Group J

Wales vs Kazakhstan​

17:00 , Mike Jones
Wales start their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup this evening as they face Kazakhstan in Cardiff.

Craig Bellamy’s side managed to turn around the poor form they’d shown under Rob Page last year and eventually finished top of Nations League Group B4, overtaking Turkey on the final matchday and ensuring a place in the ‘A’ league when the next edition comes round.

But while Bellamy has been widely praised for a somewhat remarkable turnaround since the Welsh failed to qualify for Euro 2024, his first real test is to secure qualification for the next World Cup.

The tournament is an expanded edition, meaning Bellamy should have a slightly easier job qualifying, though their group still pits them against Belgium as well as North Macedonia and Liechtenstein.

Good evening!​

12:53 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s World Cup qualifier between Wales and Kazakhstan.

Craig Bellamy hopes to kick off this qualifying campaign in fine fashion with a victory at the Cardiff City Stadium as Wales seek to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup.

We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the night so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.

Continue reading...