Wales vs Belgium

Wales and Belgium go head-to-head in their final 2022 World Cup qualifying clash at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Wales have everything to play for on the final World Cup qualifying matchday as they need a point against Belgium to ensure a second-place finish in Group E and possible seeded status for the play-offs. It’s been over two decades since Wales last secured a top-two finish in a World Cup qualifying campaign, most recently doing so in 1996. However, the ‘Dragons’ have been nothing short of exceptional in their recent World Cup qualifiers, losing just two of their last 19 such matches (W9, D8). Interestingly, despite Belgium’s household status in international football, Wales have only lost one of their last five H2Hs (W2, D2), courtesy of a 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture. That record should encourage Wales’ hopes of reaching the play-offs and potentially their first World Cup finals since 1958.

Meanwhile, the Belgians have executed another dominant World Cup qualifying campaign, winning all but one of their seven Group E matches (D1) by an aggregate score of 24-5. Pursuing their first piece of major silverware to back their #1 spot on the FIFA men’s rankings, Qatar 2022 could potentially be the last opportunity for Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ to make that long-awaited quantum leap. ‘De Rode Duivels’ should not look beyond their intimidating recent record in the World Cup qualifiers for inspiration, having avoided defeat in their last 27 such matches in a row (W23, D4). What’s more, they have registered 20 victories across their previous 23 World Cup/Euro qualifiers on foreign soil (D2, L1), netting an average of 2.52 goals per game in that run.