Aaron Ramsey’s future is up in the air after being omitted from Wales’s World Cup qualifiers this month and with his Mexican adventure reportedly over following the mysterious disappearance of a family dog.
Skipper Ramsey has not played for Wales since September 2024 due to injury, but the 86-times capped midfielder was included in Craig Bellamy’s squad for games against England and Belgium last month before withdrawing with a hamstring issue.
It was while Ramsey was away from his Mexican club Pumas UNAM that the family’s 10-year-old dog Halo went missing from near a dog shelter while wearing a tracking collar.
Ramsey offered a reward of 20,000 US dollars (£15,000) for information relating to the missing beagle, but his wife Colleen said on social media on Monday: “We will continue to search but we have to accept that she has likely passed away.”
According to reports in Mexico, Ramsey and Pumas UNAM have mutually terminated his contract since Halo’s disappearance, although neither the player nor the club have yet confirmed a parting of the ways.
Pumas boss Efrain Juarez refused to address Ramsey’s situation after their game last weekend, saying: “Honestly, I think the club will provide information about that in due time.”
Ramsey made a surprise move to Mexico over the summer after leaving hometown club Cardiff, whom he briefly managed at the end of last season, to keep alive his ambition of playing at the 2026 World Cup.
The former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder’s debut was delayed by his recovery from hamstring surgery in March and he has made only six appearances for Pumas, three of them starts.
“I know it’s been a difficult time for him at this present moment with his family,” Bellamy explained. “I believe we’ve all been there one stage or another and we know how difficult this period is... I’ve been there and anyone who has had dogs, yeah, you’ve been in that situation.
“It’s the most heart-wrenching feeling going, so he has a young family to try and navigate through that as well.
“So I feel at the moment what would be best for us all is just stay quiet for a minute, you know (he’s) an incredible person, an incredible player for our country, let him be for this period.
“I think we need to just say, ’look there are other things more important than football’, and this is one of them.”
Ramsey must now find another club to break back into Bellamy’s national squad. But time is now firmly against him as Wales prepare for closing World Cup qualifiers away to Liechtenstein and at home to North Macedonia this month.
Wales are set to be in the play-offs in March, which will determine whether they will be at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer.
Cardiff playmaker Rubin Colwill replaces Ramsey in the only change to the initial 26-man squad Bellamy named last month for the 3-0 friendly defeat against England at Wembley and the 4-2 home World Cup qualifying loss to Belgium.
Skipper Ben Davies is included despite being sidelined by injury at Tottenham in recent weeks.
Fulham forward Harry Wilson is suspended for the trip to Liechtenstein on November 15 but available to play against North Macedonia in Cardiff three days later.
Wales squad
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (Everton)
Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest)
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester City - on loan from Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joel Colwill (Cardiff City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City)
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Mark Harris (Oxford United), Dan James (Leeds United) Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham)
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