In a heart-stopping World Cup qualifier, Wales staged a remarkable comeback from three goals down against Belgium, only to suffer a crushing 4-3 defeat sealed by Kevin de Bruyne’s late winner.
The dramatic loss marked the first defeat for new manager Craig Bellamy and knocked Wales off the top of Group J.
Belgium, playing with flair at home, surged to a 3-0 lead within 27 minutes. Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring from a penalty, followed by a stylish finish from Youri Tielemans after a slick team move.
Jeremy Doku then dazzled with a feint and a low drive into the corner, leaving Wales reeling and facing the prospect of a rout reminiscent of the 4-0 loss to Slovakia a year ago that cost former manager Rob Page his job.
Under Bellamy’s leadership, however, Wales showed resilience. A lifeline came just before halftime when Harry Wilson converted a penalty, igniting hope among the traveling fans.
The second half saw Wales roar back with purpose. Wilson’s pinpoint cross found Sorba Thomas, who fired in his first international goal, and Brennan Johnson’s header leveled the score, sending the away end into raptures.
The comeback evoked memories of Wales’ iconic Euro 2016 quarter-final victory over Belgium, and when VAR disallowed a second Lukaku goal, Welsh dreams of another historic result grew.
But De Bruyne had other plans, ghosting in at the back post to score the decisive goal, sparking wild celebrations among Belgian players and fans relieved to avoid a historic collapse.
Despite the valiant effort, Wales slipped to second in Group J, overtaken by North Macedonia, who defeated Kazakhstan earlier on Monday. Bellamy’s side now faces an uphill battle to reclaim the group’s top spot as they regroup for their next qualifier.