Wales Falls To Belgium 4-2 As De Bruyne Scores Two Penalties In World Cup Qualifier

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Wales faced a setback in their 2026 World Cup qualification journey, losing 4-2 to Belgium at Cardiff City Stadium. Craig Bellamy's squad aimed to overtake Belgium in Group J with a win. Joe Rodon gave Wales an early lead with a header from Sorba Thomas's corner in the eighth minute.

Belgium quickly responded, equalising through Kevin De Bruyne's penalty after Ethan Ampadu's handball. With the score level, Belgium gained momentum. Leandro Trossard's diagonal pass found Jeremy Doku, whose assist led to Thomas Meunier scoring in the 24th minute.

After halftime, Doku and Trossard continued their offensive efforts. Trossard won another penalty when Jordan James handled the ball. De Bruyne scored again, confidently beating Karl Darlow. Despite Nathan Broadhead's late goal for Wales in the 89th minute, Belgium secured victory with Trossard finishing a swift counter-attack.

This defeat leaves Wales third in Group J, trailing Belgium by four points and North Macedonia by three. The loss significantly impacts their qualification hopes for the World Cup.

Belgium is on a remarkable 25-match unbeaten run in World Cup qualifiers, their longest since at least 2010. Rudi Garcia's team has earned four penalties this campaign, more than any other side. De Bruyne scored multiple goals for the fifth time internationally and twice in this qualifying series.

De Bruyne has now netted seven goals against Wales, his highest tally against any nation. This match marked the first time since at least 2003-04 that Wales conceded two penalties in one game.