Wales vs Kazakhstan LIVE: Team news and line-ups ahead of opening World Cup 2026 qualifier

Wales boss Craig Bellamy says playing a friendly against England later this year is ideal to help them qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Wales meet England at Wembley on October 9, just four days before hosting Group J favourites Belgium in a World Cup qualifier.

Belgium’s trip to Cardiff City Stadium is expected to be pivotal to Welsh hopes of topping the section and qualifying for their second successive World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Kazakhstan XI: Zarutskiy, Tapalov, Bystrov, Marochkin, Alip, Vorogovskiy; Chesnokov, Tagybergen, Muzhikov, Samorodov; Zhaksylykov

Subs: Pokatilov, Seisen, Astanov, Zhumakhanov, Zhaksybayev, Kenzhebek, Zhagorov, Zhukov, Aimbetov, Satpayev, Orazov, Mukhamed

This will be the first meeting between Wales and Kazakhstan at men’s senior level.

Kazakhstan are ranked 110 in the world, 81 places below Wales, and were relegated from the second tier of the Nations League in November with only one point from six games.

But Wales should beware complacency: Kazakhstan won six of their 10 Euro 2024 qualifiers and beat Northern Ireland home and away, as well as upsetting Denmark and Finland.

England boss Thomas Tuchel said: “The games against Senegal and Wales will present good challenges for us against two very different opponents.

“Facing a strong African team in a passionate city with rich football heritage and then a derby match at the iconic Wembley; two big occasions that can only help us on the road to the World Cup.”

The neighbours have met on 104 occasions, most recently during the 2022 World Cup group stage, and will go toe-to-toe once more on October 9.

The Football Association has also announced a friendly against Senegal – another nation England faced in Qatar – at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on June 10.

Wales XI: Darlow; Roberts, Williams, Rodon, Davies; Sheehan, Brooks; Johnson, Cullen, Thomas; James

Bellamy rotated his goalkeepers during the Nations League campaign with Danny Ward and Karl Darlow playing three games each.

Neither Ward nor Darlow are starting at their respective clubs, Leicester and Leeds, but surely the time is right for Bellamy to choose a number one for Wales’ World Cup adventure.

Wales have been dealt a cruel double blow with injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Harry Wilson, arguably their two most important players.

Wilson scored in four of Wales’ six Nations League games and Ampadu’s influence is massive in a central midfield are where Bellamy is short of options.

Skipper Aaron Ramsey is also absent with hamstring issues that have plagued him in recent times.

Bellamy remains unbeaten after six games – the best start by a Wales manager.

Wales topped their Nations League group in the autumn with three wins and three draws, finishing above Turkey, Iceland and Montenegro to secure top-tier status in the next edition of the competition.

The aim now is to maintain the feel-good factor prevalent since Bellamy succeeded Page last summer.

Wales boss Craig Bellamy never came close to gracing the World Cup as a player.

“I’ve got to be honest, we weren’t good enough to qualify. Even if we had all the luck in the world, we still didn’t have enough quality,” said Bellamy.

So the 45-year-old former Newcastle and Liverpool striker has added motivation to lead Wales to their second successive World Cup after Rob Page’s side bowed out at the group stage in Qatar in 2022.