Wales at the 2022 World Cup: Results, squad, scorers

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Wales's first FIFA World Cup finals campaign since 1958 ended with a 3-0 defeat to neighbours England in their final Group B game.

Gareth Bale during Wales's 3-0 defeat against England AFP via Getty Images

Wales' World Cup Group B results

21 November: United States 1-1 Wales (Weah 36; Bale 82pen)
25 November: Wales 0-2 Iran (Cheshmi 90+8, Rezaeian 90+11)
29 November: Wales 3-0 England (Rashford 50 68, Foden 51)

Five memorable Bale goals for Wales

Wales' final 26-player squad

Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey, Danny Ward, Adam Davies

Defenders: Ben Davies, Ben Cabango, Tom Lockyer, Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, Ethan Ampadu, Chris Gunter, Neco Williams, Connor Roberts

Midfielders: Sorba Thomas, Joe Allen, Matthew Smith, Dylan Levitt, Harry Wilson, Joe Morrell, Jonny Williams, Aaron Ramsey, Rubin Colwill

Forwards: Gareth Bale, Kieffer Moore, Mark Harris, Brennan Johnson, Daniel James

How Wales qualified

Group E: W4 D3 L1 F14 A9

Belgium 3-1 Wales
Wales 1-0 Czech Republic
Belarus 2-3 Wales
Wales 0-0 Estonia
Czech Republic 2-2 Wales
Estonia 0-1 Wales
Wales 5-1 Belarus
Wales 1-1 Belgium

Play-off semi-finals: Wales 2-1 Austria
Play-off final: Wales 1-0 Ukraine

Top scorers: Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey (3 goals)

Wales coach: Rob Page

Something of a journeyman defender as a player, Page did win 41 caps for Wales. The early stages of his management career took in a couple of lower-league stints before he was appointed Wales Under-21 coach. Page was promoted to senior team assistant and then took over as caretaker manager in late 2020. Subsequently guided Wales to UEFA Nations League promotion, the UEFA EURO 2020 last 16 and FIFA World Cup qualification.

EURO 2016 highlights: Wales 3-1 Belgium

Wales captain: Gareth Bale

Can surely lay claim to being his country's greatest ever player. Bale appeared in four UEFA Champions League final victories with Real Madrid – and was an unused substitute in the 2022 decider – but it is his legacy for Wales which will live on. The 33-year-old has been a talisman for well over a decade, at times almost single-handedly turning games in his team's favour. Bale was especially virtuoso in Wales' improbable journey to the UEFA EURO 2016 semi-finals.

Wales' World Cup history

Most appearances: Seven players (5)
Top scorer: Ivor Allchurch (2)
Best performance: Quarter-finals (1958, only previous appearance)
2018 World Cup: Did not qualify

Wales' opener against the United States was their first World Cup game in 64 years. Their only previous finals appearance came in 1958, when a team spearheaded by the great John Charles drew all three group games before a 2-1 play-off win against Hungary took them into the quarter-finals. There they came up against Brazil, no less, and went down to a 1-0 defeat inflicted by a 17-year-old Pelé.

Wales' EURO 2024 qualifying fixtures (Group D)

25/03/2023: Croatia vs Wales
28/03/2023: Wales vs Latvia
16/06/2023: Wales vs Armenia
19/06/2023: Türkiye vs Wales
11/09/2023: Latvia vs Wales
15/10/2023: Wales vs Croatia
18/11/2023: Armenia vs Wales
21/11/2023: Wales vs Türkiye