Wales 2-4 Belgium: Report, result and goals as Red Devis take huge step towards World Cup finals

• Last Update: October 13, 2025 09:49:20 pm BST • 2 min read

Belgium took a huge step towards the 2026 World Cup finals as they overcame an early setback to beat Wales 4-2 in a crucial qualifier.

Wales have proved a thorn in Belgium’s side over the years, and the Red Devils needed a late Kevin De Bruyne goal to beat the Dragons 4-3 in the reverse fixture in Brussels after an improbable comeback from Craig Bellamy’s men.

De Bruyne played a key role in settling this game in Belgium’s favour, though it looked as if it might be Wales’ night when Joe Rodon headed them into an eighth-minute lead.

However, De Bruyne levelled from the spot after Ethan Ampadu handled in the area, and Thomas Meunier put Belgium in front following excellent work from the superb Jeremy Doku.

A second De Bruyne penalty 14 minutes from time gave Belgium command and, though Nathan Broadhead halved the deficit late on, Leandro Trossard’s 90th-minute effort meant the seven minutes of injury time did not feature a frantic finish.

With North Macedonia held to a 1-1 draw by Kazakhstan, Belgium now lead Group J by a point. Wales are four points behind in third. Both they and Belgium have a game in hand on North Macedonia, whom Craig Bellamy’s men face in their final qualifier in Cardiff next month, with that game likely to be a shootout for a place in the play-offs.