Craig Bellamy will take charge of Wales for the first time since the summer interest from Burnley when they face Portugal at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon on Thursday, 24 September (19:45 BST). The Nations League Group A4 fixture marks a return to the serious business for the Wales head coach, who signed a four-year contract with the Football Association of Wales in July 2024 and has now put the Clarets speculation behind him.
Bellamy has made clear his enthusiasm for the Nations League and what is at stake in Portugal. “The Nations League is amazing. I love it,” he said. “We got promoted, so we’ve earned the right to be here because that’s how it works. If we finish third, we have a very good chance of going as the top 12 seeds into the Euro qualifiers, so that’s a huge carrot for us.”
Wales are in their second League A campaign and face a demanding group that also includes Denmark and Norway. Bellamy’s task has been complicated by injuries, with Harry Wilson, Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor and Nathan Broadhead all unavailable for the current international window. Because of the schedule, those absentees will miss four games rather than the usual two, but Bellamy sees an opportunity for others, saying Wales are “hoping to find another Harry Wilson after these four games”.
Within the Wales camp, there has been little attempt to hide the relief that Bellamy remains in charge. Captain Ben Davies said: “Selfishly, I think as a squad we’re very happy to keep him.” Connor Roberts, who worked under Bellamy at Burnley, admitted to mixed feelings. “Am I a little bit disappointed that he’s not Burnley manager? I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t,” Roberts said. He added: “Now he is still the manager of Wales and he’s going to continue to give us absolutely everything to produce and give us the best team that we possibly can and we’ll see how the next few camps go.”
Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney also backed Bellamy, saying: “Craig is an outstanding coach, we’re so delighted with the work he’s done. He’s the best I’ve come across, he’s absolutely obsessed with the game.”
Bellamy’s wider aim is to keep Wales moving forward. The former striker won 78 caps but never reached a major tournament; he has since seen his country qualify three times in the past decade. He is determined to avoid the decline that marked parts of his own playing career. “We’re still finishing second in groups, we’re now in our second time in Nations League A, so we still remain there,” he said. “My responsibility is to play a part in that. It’s not just right now, it’s to make sure that we remain healthy and keep trying to push – we don’t dip and don’t go out like sides that I played in where no one cared. We were out of the group before we knew it. There was no real interest. We just can’t go back to that and we won’t go back to it.”
Bellamy has consistently outlined his admiration for Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo. Before the match, Ronaldo said that reaching 1,000 goals was a key driver in his decision to extend his international career. Bellamy last faced Ronaldo for West Ham United in 2008, when the Portuguese scored twice for Manchester United, and he hopes the record is eventually achieved – but not in Lisbon. “For him to still keep going, you just have to sit in awe, that’s the honest truth,” Bellamy said. “You cannot sleep, but you’ve never been able to sleep with this guy. The guy is incredible. We’re talking about a thousand goals. Seriously? Who gets a thousand goals? We’re not counting youth football or anything. It’s just silly, and I hope he gets it, but I hope he gets nothing tomorrow. It starts after us.”