World Cup 2022

Wales are back at the World Cup for the first time in over half a century - since 1958 to be precise. To say that they’re proud of themselves is a massive understatement, and so they should be.

With a population of just over three million, the Welsh are the smallest nation to qualify for the 2022 tournament, but this is a football nation brimming with confidence and one which is very much not there to make up the numbers. 

Who is the Wales manager?

“We’ll go toe-to-toe with anybody. That’s the attitude we’ve got. Bring it on,” said manager Robert Page after the Dragons secured their spot in a playoff win over Ukraine, and his personality has been a huge factor in Wales’ return to the top table of world football. 

Page is a popular leader in the dressing room, and is fiercely proud to be leading his nation. Taking over the reins as an interim, he steered an impressive course at Euro 2020, taking Wales to the quarter-finals where they were knocked out by a very impressive Denmark side, and he was rewarded with a permanent four-year contract in June of this year.  

What tactics can we expect from them at the World Cup?

Page sticks pretty rigidly to a three-at the back formation, only really switching things up in terms of whether he goes 5-3-2 or 5-2-3. It means that his side are set up to aggressively counter-punch - tending to allow opponents to have the ball before looking to break quickly using the speed of their wing-backs and wide players. 

This plays in nicely to the strengths of Kieffer Moore, who has become Page’s go-to target man. Moore’s aerial presence is utilised to fashion headed chances, where he’ll often peel off to attack a full-back at the far post; but also in his hold-up play, which brings in either the second striker playing off him or to inverted wingers operating as inside forwards. 

A packed middle means that opposition attacks are often funnelled wide, where the wing-backs are expected to get out quickly and shut intricate passing moves down, knowing that there is a solid wall behind them should teams try to go down the aerial route. Page’s side are thoroughly organised, well drilled, and know exactly how to soak up pressure before unleashing on the counter. 

 

Who are the players to watch for Wales?

It’s because of the way that Wales set up that their player to watch is Nottingham Forest starlet Brennan Johnson. His direct style and ability to skip past his defender gives Wales real threat in transition, and the fact that he plays as part of a forward two for his club means that he is well used to playing off a striker in the mould of Kieffer Moore. 

Incredibly difficult to stop once he gets into his stride, watch out for Johnson latching on to flicked through balls from Moore and bearing down on goal or making himself a yard of separation before getting away a cross into the box for his number 9 to attack. 

Who is favourite to be top scorer for Wales?

And yet when all is said and done, the Nation’s hopes, dreams and goalscoring burdens lie on the shoulders of one man - Gareth Bale (200/1 to win the Golden Boot).

Now 33 years old, Bale made the jump across the pond this summer to join Los Angeles FC in MLS and although he hasn’t nailed down as many minutes as he would have liked, he was still the man who nodded in a last-gasp equaliser in MLS Cup final early in November - a goal that set the stage for LAFC to lift the trophy for the very first time. 

And Bale has never failed to deliver in a Wales shirt, no matter how many minutes he’s getting at club level. It was his free-kick back in June which sent Wales to this tournament, despite having being frozen out at Real Madrid for the best part of last season. He was the man that had taken them to the playoff final in the first place with two goals against Austria, just the week before. 

If there is pressure and expectation on Bale’s shoulders, then in the red of his country, he is not weighed down by it, but thrives on it. And he will be the man who pulls on the armband and leads his country out for their first World Cup in 64 years in Qatar. Bale himself called this qualification the ‘final piece of the jigsaw’ for his career. 

How did Wales qualify for the World Cup?

Wales took the long way round to get here - not just in those long years in the World Cup wilderness, but in terms of qualification as well. Wales finished second in their group behind a brilliant Belgium side, seeing off a substantial challenge from the Czech Republic in the process, and losing just one of their eight group games. 

That took them into the playoffs, where the aforementioned three goals from Gareth Bale saw them over the line, and resulted in wild scenes in the Cardiff City Stadium - tears of joy rolling down the face of most of the crowd, and most of the players as well. 

What are the ambitions for this Wales team?

Wales are in a tricky group with England, Iran and the US - with all four teams ranked in FIFA’s Top 20 in the world, but they will feel they have the capacity to come through as at least runners up. 

Tough to break down, with a core of young talent and a bona fide world superstar in Bale, Wales will be looking to the Quarter Finals to feel that they have truly delivered on a long-awaited return to international football’s piece de resistance. 

Wales World Cup Odds

At 300/1 best odds, they remain a long shot, but Wales won’t mind that. They love it when they’re underestimated and they’ll be looking to bloody a few noses - not least that of their storied, and somewhat noisy neighbours from across the River Severn. 

Wales World Cup prediction from oddschecker

Wales will fear no foe when going into this tournament and have the quality to get out of the group but topping Group B could be a tough task for Page's men. Finishing second in the group would put them on course to play the winners from Group A at the Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, on Saturday 3rd December.

Netherlands are expected to win Group A and that would be tough opposition for Wales to face, so a round of 16 exit could be likely.