Wales suffered a 2-1 defeat to Romania in Bucharest, bringing the curtain down on Craig Bellamy’s second year as head coach of the Red Dragons.
The former striker took charge in July 2024 following the departure of Robert Page, and the two years since have brought both notable triumphs and painful setbacks.
Promotion to Nations League A stands as the standout achievement of Bellamy’s tenure so far, while World Cup qualifying heartache remains a bitter pill for Welsh football.
Romania was Wales’ 20th fixture under Bellamy, and across those games they have won eight, drawn seven and lost five, giving him a win rate of 40%.
That record compares favourably to predecessor Page, who had a win rate of 33%, and sits just above Chris Coleman’s 39% win rate across 49 games between 2012 and 2017.
Under Bellamy, Wales have scored 34 goals at an average of 1.7 per game and have conceded 24 times across all competitions.
Bellamy made an impressive start, becoming the first Wales manager to go unbeaten in his first four games, a run that eventually stretched to nine matches before a 4-3 defeat to Belgium in June 2025.
However, Wales suffered heartbreak in the World Cup play-off semi-final, beaten on penalties by Bosnia and Herzegovina, ending hopes of reaching successive World Cups for the first time in their history.
Goal scorer David Brooks summed up the mood after the Romania defeat, saying it is “bitterly disappointing” that Wales will not be at the World Cup, while adding “there’s stuff to improve on, for sure.”
Connor Roberts, who returned from an Achilles injury as a substitute in Bucharest, said: “In general I think we’re doing well. We’re progressing and learning.”
Roberts added: “We just have to sharpen up in areas and stay focused and switched on for the whole game in every game.”
Bellamy has used 37 different players during his two years in charge and has handed senior debuts to seven players, including Joel Colwill, Isaak Davies and Cameron Congreve.
Wales are yet to beat a side ranked higher than them since Bellamy took charge, having lost twice to Belgium and suffered friendly defeats to Canada and England.
The schedule does not get any easier, with Wales set to face Portugal, Norway and Denmark in Nations League A, all three of whom are ranked above Wales by FIFA.
Roberts acknowledged the challenge ahead but remained upbeat, saying: “It’s going to be tough in the Nations League, our group has got top, top teams in it, so it’s going to be difficult.”
He added: “But that’s why you play football, to play against the best footballers on the biggest stage.”
Qualifying for Euro 2028 remains the long-term target, and the 46-year-old is now halfway through his four-year contract with the Football Association of Wales.
Reflecting on his two years in the role, Bellamy said: “We’re definitely very different, two years older. It’s been really enjoyable, there’s a lot of stuff I really like that we’ve been able to do.”
Bellamy, who has been linked with several clubs in recent months, made clear his commitment to Wales, saying: “That excites me as well because I do like the team, I like how we play, but we need to be better in certain areas.”
He concluded: “That’s going to allow us to be able to compete with the top, top teams on a regular basis — because that’s where we want to be and we’re going to be tested now on that in Nations League A. It’s going to test everything about us.”
