Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina – News and Probable Lineups

Wales will aim to get closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup as they host Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Cardiff City Stadium for their playoff semi-final on Thursday evening.

The victor of this knockout fixture will compete against either Italy or Northern Ireland at home next Tuesday for a spot in this summer’s tournament located in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Match overview

Wales is pursuing its third appearance in a World Cup final and aims for consecutive qualifications after participating in the 2022 edition in Qatar, where their journey ended in the group stage.

Craig Bellamy’s team narrowly missed securing an automatic qualification spot for the 2026 tournament, finishing in second place in Group J, merely two points behind group leaders Belgium, accumulating a total of 16 points from their eight matches.

The Dragons head into the fixture after a commanding 7-1 victory over North Macedonia in their last group qualifying match in November last year. Harry Wilson’s hat-trick led his nation to their biggest win in 47 years, ensuring a home playoff match.

Wales will be glad to return to Cardiff, where they have claimed victory in five of their last six competitive home games, which includes wins over Austria and Ukraine in the playoffs that secured their place at the 2022 World Cup.

Ranked 31st globally by FIFA, Wales won’t underestimate Bosnia, having failed to secure victory in their last four international encounters (D2 L2), with no goals scored in three of those matches.

Bosnia-Herzegovina narrowly missed automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup as they conceded a late equalizer, resulting in a 1-1 draw with Group H winners Austria during their last match in November last year.

Sergej Barbarez’s squad secured five wins and one draw in their eight group games but finished in second place with 17 points, with only Italy (18) ahead of them in Group I.

However, Bosnia will have another chance in the playoffs as they aim to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since their debut as an independent nation in the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

Currently ranked 71st by FIFA, Bosnia is determined to break their playoff misfortune, having never won a single match in seven attempts (D3 L4) across four prior playoff campaigns since 2010 (one World Cup and four European Championships).

On a positive note, Zmajevi (The Dragons) can take heart from their four-game unbeaten run away from home in all competitions (D2 L2) and their record of one win and two draws from three previous visits to Wales, including a 2-0 friendly victory in August 2012.

Team News

Wales will miss the services of Ben Davies, Chris Mepham, Kieffer Moore, and Connor Roberts due to injuries, while free agent Aaron Ramsey has not been selected, having not played competitively since September 2025 for Mexican club Pumas.

Wrexham goalkeeper Danny Ward, Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo, and left-back Rhys Norrington Davies—currently on loan at QPR from Sheffield United—have all received call-ups for the first time since the beginning of the season and will be eligible for the match on Thursday.

Bellamy is anticipated to field his strongest lineup, so players like Harry Wilson, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams, Brennan Johnson, and David Brooks—all from the Premier League—are likely to be involved in some capacity.

As for Bosnia, Sampdoria defender Dennis Hadzikadunic is out of the squad due to injury, but uncapped goalkeeper Osman Hadzikic and defender Nidal Celik have been included.

Benjamin Tahirovic reportedly reached out to the Welsh manager Steve Cooper to apologize for previous accusations regarding his intentional omission by the club ahead of the World Cup playoffs. The midfielder, with 24 caps, remains in contention to feature on Thursday.

At the age of 40, all-time record goalscorer (72) and appearance-maker (146) Edin Dzeko has netted five goals in qualifying, and the Schalke striker is expected to lead the team as captain against Wales.

Wales probable starting XI:

Darlow; Williams, Rodon, Lawlor, Dasilva; Ampadu, J. James; Brooks, Wilson, Johnson, Broadhead; Johnson

Bosnia-Herzegovina probable starting XI:

Vasilj; Dedic, Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac; Bajraktarevic, Tahirovic, Sunjic, Memic; Tabakovic, Dzeko

With this fixture requiring a result on the night, extra time and penalties may be necessary in what is expected to be a closely contested match. Nevertheless, we are backing Wales to keep their World Cup ambitions alive and secure victory in 90 minutes in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.