HARRY Wilson produced a sparkling hat-trick as Cymru swept aside North Macedonia 7–1 in Cardiff, sealing second place in Group J and ensuring a home World Cup play-off semi-final.Skippering the side in the absence of the suspended Ethan Ampadu, Wilson opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 19 minutes. David Brooks soon doubled the advantage, only for Bojan Miovski to pull one back almost immediately for the visitors.
Any hint of a comeback was swiftly quashed when Brennan Johnson unleashed a superb long-range curler to restore Cymru’s two-goal cushion.
Craig Bellamy’s men shifted into top gear after the break. Daniel James made it 4–1 following a clever Wilson backheel, before Wilson thumped home a free-kick to put Cymru firmly out of sight. The Fulham forward completed his hat-trick with another penalty eight minutes from time, and Nathan Broadhead added a late seventh to compound North Macedonia’s misery.
All the pressure had been on the hosts, who needed victory to keep their realistic World Cup hopes alive — and they delivered emphatically.
Although Cymru had already guaranteed a play-off place by winning their Nations League group last year, securing second spot in Group J was crucial to avoid a higher-seeded opponent. More significantly, tonight’s result ensures the Dragons will enjoy home advantage in March’s semi-final.
The draw for the World Cup play-off semi-finals will take place on Thursday.
