Craig Bellamy says Cymru’s objective will be to secure their place among the elite of European football after being drawn with Portugal, Denmark and Norway in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League.
The Cymru manager said he was excited at the prospect of taking on top-tier opponents after returning to League A, but insisted full focus remains on next month’s play-off bid to reach the 2026 World Cup, with a semi-final against Bosnia on 26 March fast approaching.
Bellamy stressed that remaining in League A would be a crucial step towards achieving the long-term goal of qualifying automatically for major finals.
“I’m very excited and actually quite happy with the draw,” Bellamy said.
“How I look at this group is to stay in this group. We’ve dipped between A and B and in the qualifying campaigns we are second. How do we get to be number one so we’re competing for the number one spot?
“If we can stay in League A it will give us a better opportunity of being a number one seeded team that goes into qualifiers, and able to stay at number one and go straight to a tournament and not in the play-offs anymore.”
Holders Portugal will be a stern test
The tie against Portugal will see Cymru face the side that ousted them at the semi-final stage of Euro 2016, and Bellamy believes it will provide a valuable benchmark of how his team can sustain possession and intensity — qualities that helped them finish second behind Belgium to reach the World Cup play-offs.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, a former Swansea City boss who led the Selecao to their second Nations League title last year, acknowledged the progress Cymru have made under Bellamy since missing out on Euro 2024 qualification and enduring a disappointing 2022 World Cup.
“Wales are a national team I know very well and are close to my heart,” said Martinez. “I know how they work, I know the passion and how much it means to them to represent the national team so the games with Wales will be really open and very competitive.
“Craig Bellamy has transmitted that feeling of taking risks, playing games eye to eye with any national team.”
Norway and Denmark add to the challenge
Martinez described Norway as “European football’s form team”, with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland inspiring a flawless World Cup qualifying campaign.
Bellamy said he had recently watched Norway, who will appear at this summer’s finals, and conceded they and Denmark were “reasonably similar” in quality.
“But they were all going to be tough, that’s why you’re in League A,” he added. “It’s the top 16 teams in Europe. They are good quality games which they’re going to be.”
The Nations League campaign begins in September, with four fixtures scheduled in a congested opening window that could test Cymru’s squad depth.
Ideally, that run will follow a successful World Cup play-off campaign, with a place at the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States the ultimate prize. Should Cymru overcome Bosnia, their final play-off opponents will be either Northern Ireland or Italy.
When asked whether the opportunity to lead his country to a major finals — something he never achieved as a player — was tempting to contemplate, Bellamy remained focused on the immediate task.
“It’s one game at a time.
“We’ve just got to beat Bosnia, that’s it. I wish I could look forward more, but I don’t.
“Bosnia is the most important, it’s a real tough game, and all my focus and energy is on that moment. The rest will take care of itself.”
