Wales World Cup Team Preview
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Wales To Win World Cup Odds
Wales is a big outsider to win the World Cup this winter, but sports betting sites don’t think it’s totally out of the question that the team can progress to the latter stages. Wales, coached by Robert Page, has played sensationally well over the past few years and deservedly reached only the country’s second-ever World Cup this summer.
Wales qualified for the World Cup after beating Ukraine in a playoff. That was a tense game in Cardiff, but Gareth Bale delivered when it mattered most, scoring a deflected free-kick to win the game. Now Wales faces the unenviable task of competing against England, USA and Iran in the World Cup. This is a tantalizingly tense group for the Welsh, who may even have aspirations of topping it.
This team is made up of plenty of EPL players. Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, Tottenham's Ben Davies, Fulham midfielder Harry Wilson and his club team-mate Daniel James are all top players. Meanwhile, captain Bale is now a superstar at Los Angeles FC, and midfield maestro Aaron Ramsey is excelling at Nice in the French league.
Wales last reached a major tournament at Euro 2020 last summer, where they coached out at the last-16 stage. Five years prior, they made it all the way to the European Championships semi-finals. A repeat adventure to the last-four isn't expected in Qatar. But sports betting sites aren't totally ruling the Welsh out just yet.
Team Wales has been eliminated from the World Cup 2022, and Team England and Team USA advanced to the next round. Check out what the odds were for England and USA to advance to the next round.
Wales Path To Final
Pot Draw
Wales were placed in Pot 4 for the World Cup, alongside the likes of Ghana, Saudi Arabia and Australia. It's not exactly stellar company to be in, and meant the Welsh would face much tougher opposition in the group stage. The reason Wales was in Pot 4 was because the team qualified via a playoff against Ukraine. So, the world's 18th-best team in the FIFA rankings are in the worst pot of the World Cup.
Group Stage
Wales avoided a Group of Death scenario during the World Cup group stage draw. They will play England, USA and Iran over three games, and will be confident of progressing to the last-16. Wales' first game is arguably their most important, against USA on November 21st. Win this and they only need to beat Iran in the second game to ensure progress. A final group game against England could be a battle for top spot.
Wales Previous World Cup Finishes
Wales has only competed at the World Cup once before. That was back in 1958, when the team reached the quarterfinals in Sweden. They were eliminated via a 1-0 defeat to Brazil, which went on to win the World Cup that year.
- 1958 – Quarterfinals
Wales World Cup FAQ
Has Wales qualified for the World Cup?
Yes. Wales has qualified for the World Cup this winter and will compete in Group B, alongside England, USA and Iran.
Why is the World Cup in November?
The World Cup is being played in the winter months because host nation Qatar cannot stage games in the summer. That's because temperatures for players and fans are too hot.
Can Wales win the World Cup?
It's unlikely Wales will win the World Cup this summer. In fact, sports betting sites give Wales a 0.7% chance of going all the way. However, Wales have a 14.3% chance of winning Group B ahead of England, USA and Iran.
Will Gareth Bale win the Golden Boot?
Gareth Bale is perhaps Wales' best player and is expected to retire from international soccer after the World Cup. Sports betting sites don't think Bale will win the Golden Boot. He will likely have to score six or seven goals to be in the running for the accolade.
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