Wales now know the fate that awaits them if the qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup after the draw was made for the tournament.
An expanded edition of football’s biggest event will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada next year with Craig Bellamy’s side hoping to take up a place as one of the 48 teams in North America.
After finishing second in Group J of the Uefa section of World Cup qualifying, Wales have advanced into Path A of the second round but face a tough set of play-offs if they hope to reach the tournament.
Wales will first host Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff on 26 March in a semi-final, hoping to set up a deciding clash with either Italy or Northern Ireland — who meet on the same night.
Win that clash and Wales will take up their place in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, as well as Qatar and Switzerland.
Having gone more than 60 years without qualifying, Wales returned to international football’s biggest stage in Qatar in 2022. They exited without winning a game, with a draw against the United States all they managed to muster as they finished bottom of a group that also included England and Iran.
And what of their potential opponents at the upcoming World Cup?
Qatar finished bottom of their group on home soil in 2022, losing all three of their games, as did Canada. Switzerland fared marginally better, reaching the round of 16, but they ultimately suffered a 6-1 thrashing by Portugal.
Possible Wales group stage fixtures at 2026 World Cup
12 June: vs Canada (BMO Field, Toronto, Canada)
18 June: vs Qatar (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, US)
24 June: vs Switzerland (Lumen Field, Seattle, US)
