Wales face Turkey at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday evening in the first match of their Nations League campaign, as they look for a the perfect start to Craig Bellamy’s tenure.
Bellamy was appointed manager in July after the Welsh FA sacked Rob Page, and he leads Wales in the Nations League as a precursor to the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup,
Matches against Turkey and Montenegro give Bellamy the first chance to see his new-look team in action, though his first game is against a Turkey side that reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Turkey boast plenty of quality in their squad, including Real Madrid’s Arda Guler and Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and will provide a tough test to a Wales squad that is yet to gel despite the experience in their ranks.
Follow all the latest build-up, updates and reaction from the Nations League below:
Wales v Turkey LIVE
-
Wales face Turkey in their opening Nations League match, with kick-off at 7.45pm BST | Live on S4C
-
The match is the first game in charge for new manager Craig Bellamy, who was appointed in July
-
Turkey come into the match off the back of a successful Euro 2024 campaign in which they made the quarter-finals
Wales line-up versus Turkey
18:34 , Mike Jones
Wales XI: Ward; Roberts, Rodon, Davies, Williams; Thomas, Ampadu, James, Ramsey, Wilson; Johnson
Here’s some pre-match thoughts form Vicenzo Montella
18:30 , Mike Jones
Turkey’s head coach said: “As you know, national matches are played with very different emotions. We have won 3 of the 9 matches we have played with our opponent.
“It is an important detail for us that we have not won any away games. It is in our hands to overturn this. I trust you. We will go out and achieve our first victory.
“Let’s be aware of our strength. Especially the Wales match is very important. If we start with a win, the rest will follow. Whoever is the most ready should go out on the field and reflect on the field what we worked on in training. That’s all I want.”
How Fifa’s lowest-ranked nation finally secured their first competitive win after 20 years of pain
18:25 , Mike Jones
It goes some way to illustrating the pain and patience that fans of San Marino have had to endure that their winning goalscorer on Thursday night wasn’t even born the last time the landlocked nation tasted international success. When Nicko Sensoli fired home the eventual winner against Liechtenstein, the 19-year-old snapped football’s longest winless run; two decades and 140 games after beating their fellow minnows, the Italian enclave could celebrate again.
Sensoli’s goal was scrappy, not that the crowd at the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle remotely cared. A forward diagonal seemingly bound for goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel was headed errantly by a Liechtenstein player, taking it just about within prodding distance of the San Marino teenager. Seldom has a toe poke been so rapturously received.
How Fifa’s lowest-ranked nation finally secured their first competitive win
5 talking points for Wales as the Craig Bellamy era gets under way
18:20 , Mike Jones
5) Revenge mission
Wales and Turkey clash again less than 10 months after meeting in Euro 2024 qualifying.
On that occasion Wales had to win and needed Croatia to drop points against Armenia to qualify automatically. Neither happened as Wales were held 1-1 in Cardiff and Croatia won.
Wales headed for the play-offs, which they failed to navigate.
Turkey went on to reach the quarter-finals at the Euros, but were fortunate to draw in Cardiff. Johnson had what looked a stonewall penalty turned down at 1-0 and the visitors levelled through a dubious spot-kick.
5 talking points for Wales as the Craig Bellamy era gets under way
18:15 , Mike Jones
4) Darlow option
Wales’ goalkeeping problems are well documented.
Page sometimes picked four – Danny Ward, Wayne Hennessey, Adam Davies and Tom King – in a squad but not one of them made a single league appearance last season.
Bellamy has got Karl Darlow on board, persuading the Northampton-born Leeds goalkeeper to commit to Wales when others have failed.
Darlow is behind Illan Meslier at Leeds, but the 33-year-old has played 250 career games for Newcastle and Nottingham Forest among others and his addition could be a masterstroke from Bellamy.
5 talking points for Wales as the Craig Bellamy era gets under way
18:10 , Mike Jones
3) Can Johnson shine?
Brennan Johnson has yet to impress for Wales on a consistent basis and the Tottenham forward’s numbers do not make great reading.
Johnson has scored only three times in 28 appearances, although many of his earlier caps came off the bench.
The fleet-footed Johnson – recorded as one of the fastest players in the Premier League – is now 23 and has a season under his belt at Spurs.
Bellamy says Johnson is worth far more than the £47.5million transfer fee Spurs paid Nottingham Forest for him and the winger seems set to play a major role in his new-look Wales.
5 talking points for Wales as the Craig Bellamy era gets under way
18:05 , Mike Jones
2) Ramsey role
Aaron Ramsey remains as Wales captain under Bellamy – but what will be the 33-year-old’s actual role?
Ramsey has not played for Wales in almost 12 months with injury plaguing the Cardiff midfielder.
He has completed Cardiff’s four Championship games this season, but the Bluebirds have yet to win and are bottom of the table.
Bellamy is a big fan and convinced his former teammate can be a threat in the final third, so the key might be finding the right system to maximise Ramsey’s attacking instincts.
5 talking points for Wales as the Craig Bellamy era gets under way
18:00 , Mike Jones
1) Bellamy bow
As a player, Craig Bellamy wore his heart on his sleeve. Often snarling and controversial, Bellamy made headlines on and off the pitch.
But no-one could dispute his ability or the passion he had playing for Wales.
Having lost out on the job to Ryan Giggs in 2018, Bellamy now gets the chance to manage his country and it promises to be an exciting ride.
Now 45, the former striker appears a calmer presence and is ready for management after cutting his coaching teeth alongside Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht and Burnley.
Brawls, boos and ‘plastic Paddys’: how the English and Irish football teams became eternally entwined
17:55 , Mike Jones
For some around the Irish squad, it’s still strange to be preparing for a match against Lee Carsley’s England. Ireland made a strong push for the admired coach, since he has 40 caps for the country. A solid Ireland midfielder is now the most important figure in English football culture, and will have a tricolour by his name if he takes England to the World Cup.
Carsley was born in Birmingham but qualified for Ireland through his Cork grandmother, and spoke last week of naturally feeling both nationalities. The same applies to many for Saturday’s game in Dublin, most notably Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, who make up at least nine England regulars over the last half-decade that could have also represented Ireland. It is almost an inevitable inversion of the fixture’s history, when it was Ireland that most benefited from the country’s diaspora to Britain.
How the English and Irish football teams became eternally entwined
The return of the Nations League
17:50 , Mike Jones
Wales’ return to Nations League action comes a day after Scotland suffered a heart-breaking defeat against Poland at Hampden Park.
Steve Clarke’s men were the more aggressive and prominent side but two penalties, one in the 97th minute, cost them dearly as they slumped to a 3-2 defeat.
England also get their new era started tomorrow as Lee Carsley’s first match takes place against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. T
he interim boss has selected mostly familiar names but there are a few surprises with the former U21 head coach rewarding some of his previous players with full international call ups.
Before that though is tonight’s action in Cardiff, how will Wales fare and can they kick off their new start with a win?
Bellamy on his Welsh squad
17:45 , Mike Jones
“I see a young team, see a lot of talent coming through but, if I’m honest, I see a very good team right now,” said the new manager when assessing his players.
“The way I’m looking to try and play with Wales is a little different to what they’ve done before. I need to be true to me but, with the talented players we have, if we can tweak and adapt one or two little bits it will give us a huge benefit going into future games.
“I’m conscious of a period in stamping on how we are going to play. It would be a little bit crazy for me to expect it straight away, but of course I will try.
“You talk about building blocks and future games, but this is your country, playing for Wales. Who’s to say you are going to have future games? Who is going to say you are good enough for that? Who’s to say I’m good enough for that? Every game is important, it’s your national team.”
Bellamy hoping to introduce new style of play
17:40 , Mike Jones
Craig Bellamy will begin his much-anticipated reign as Wales head coach on Friday with a Nations League match against Turkey in Cardiff.
He has used his first training sessions with the squad to implement a progressive new style of play and tonight’s game will provide an insight into how the team are developing.
“It’s going to be a very proud moment. I’ve worked hard for this and I’m going to recognise that,” said Bellamy, “But that moment when the game gets going, I’m not paid to be emotional. I’m paid to make the best decisions possible on the side.
“That’s the business I’m in straight away. Of course I’m proud and I’m fully aware that the moment is going to catch me. But it has to leave very quickly because there’s a big responsibility and the players need me as well in that moment.
“When I look back on my career I wished I’d enjoyed it more. I’m fully aware of what it means representing your country. But I want to enjoy it by being calm and clear on every situation that can occur in the game.”
The return of the Nations League: Groups, favourites and what’s new in 2024/25 as Spain defend crown
17:35 , Mike Jones
An expanded Uefa Nations League is upon us as the first international break of the Premier League season ramps up.
The fourth edition of this competition adds an extra knockout round and maintains the jeopardy of promotion and relegation in its mini leagues – a fate England know too well after dropping to League B following a poor string of results in 2022.
Designed to eliminate meaningless international friendlies in favour of pitting similarly ranked nations against each other in a competitive environment, the Nations League has proven a springboard to success for previous winners Portugal, France and Spain.
England’s best result remains the third-place finish they achieved under Gareth Southgate in the 2018/19 inaugural edition. This time out, Lee Carsley’s men will aim for promotion back to the elite.
The return of the Nations League: Groups, favourites and what’s new in 2024/25
Wales vs Turkey prediction
17:30 , Mike Jones
Wales begin a new era under Craig Bellamy and several players will be desperate to impress, so Wales should be able to find a result against a Turkey side who performed well at Euro 2024. Turkey have more quality in their ranks, but the nature of the match means Wales should be able to get at least a draw.
Wales 1-1 Turkey.
Wales vs Turkey predicted line-ups
17:25 , Mike Jones
Wales XI: Ward; Williams, Cabango, Rodon, Davies; Ampadu, James; Wilson, Ramsey, Johnson; Moore.
Turkey XI: Gunok; Muldur, Soyuncu, Akaydın, Bardakcı; Ozcan, Kokcu; Güler, Calhanoglu, Yildiz; Yilmaz.
Turkey early team news
17:20 , Mike Jones
The Turkey squad is much the same as it was during Euro 2024, with new Brighton signing Ferdi Kadioglu the only notable absentee.
Former Leicester defender Çağlar Soyuncu returns to the squad after missing the summer tournament through injury, while stalwarts such as Hakan Calhanoglu, Orkun Kökçü, Arda Güler and Barış Alper Yılmaz all retain their places.
Wales’ early team news
17:15 , Mike Jones
Craig Bellamy’s first Wales squad features many of the names that fans have become used to seeing, including Ethan Ampadu and Aaron Ramsey, who Bellamy announced will retain the captaincy.
Ipswich pair Nathan Broadhead and Wes Burns were not considered due to injury, and nor was Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks, while winger Dan James has been ruled out through injury.
Bellamy has added 33-year-old Karl Darlow as goalkeeping back-up, while recalling Mark Harris and Oli Cooper for the first time in over a year. Sorba Thomas has also been recalled, having left Huddersfield last summer to join Ligue 1 club Nantes on loan.
How can I watch it?
17:10 , Mike Jones
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on S4C, with coverage starting at 7.20pm. It will also be available to watch via BBC iPlayer online and on the app.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is Wales vs Turkey?
17:05 , Mike Jones
Wales vs Turkey kicks off at 7.45pm BST on Friday 6 September at the Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
Wales vs Turkey LIVE
17:00 , Mike Jones
Wales open their Nations League campaign against Turkey at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday looking for the perfect start to Craig Bellamy’s reign.
Former Wales captain Bellamy was appointed manager in early July and has set about preparing Wales as they look to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, though the Nations League provides the first chances to shape his team and test themselves against similar opposition.
Nevertheless, their first test is against a Turkey side that many will feel are far superior to The Dragons, with players such as Real Madrid’s Arda Guler and Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu having helped them to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Turkey left Germany disappointed after a narrow loss to the Netherlands, but their future is in safe hands and head coach Vincenzo Montella will look to build on an inspiring summer, starting with a win in Cardiff.
Good evening!
14:14 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Nations League action as Wales face Turkey for the first match of their campaign.
It is the beginning of a new era for the Dragons as Craig Bellamy takes charge of his first game having replaced Rob Page as manager over the summer.
It is not an easy introduction for the Welshman as Turkey reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and are in very fine form.
We’ll have all the team news, updates and more throughout the afternoon so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm
