Harry Wilson says Wales know exactly what is required in Oslo on Saturday, with the Leeds United midfielder backing his side to beat Norway for a second time in this Nations League campaign and take a step toward staying in League A.
Wales upset Erling Haaland and company in Cardiff last month to register a first ever win in the top tier of the Nations League. Craig Bellamy’s side now return the fixture at Ullevaal Stadion, with kickoff at 17:00 GMT, and another success would give their hopes of remaining among Europe’s elite a major lift.
As it stands, Wales are third in Group A4, above Norway on their head-to-head record. A win this weekend would not, however, guarantee a third-place finish or better. Wales could conceivably end the group level on points with both Norway and Denmark, and in that case the three sides would be separated by goal difference in the matches involving them.
“I feel like we know what we’ve got to do on Saturday to keep us in Group A and it’s full focus and full steam ahead to do that,” Wilson said.
The attacking midfielder said the target set before the campaign began was survival in the top tier. “I think [the target] before we started this campaign was to try to remain in Group A,” he said. “It’s what we’ve worked so hard to do and to play against the best teams in Europe and ultimately down the line when the qualifying games start, it puts us in a better position the better we do in this group.”
“I think a win on Saturday gives us a good chance of staying in Group A and then we have the massive game against Portugal on Tuesday, so ultimately the focus is on getting a win in Oslo on Saturday.”
Wales can still finish second, third or fourth. A top-two placing would take Bellamy’s team to the Nations League quarter-finals in March 2027. Third would mean a relegation play-off against a League B side in March, while finishing bottom of the group would bring either a relegation play-off or direct relegation, depending on how Wales rank against teams in the other League A groups. Finishing second or third would also seed Wales in the draw for the next European Championship, improving their prospects for Euro 2028 qualification.
Return after muscle injury
Wilson’s comeback is a significant boost for Bellamy’s squad as they look to end a testing campaign on a high. The 29-year-old has yet to feature in the group, having missed the four-game international windows in September and October because of a muscle injury.
Wilson said he was “absolutely gutted” to pick up the fitness issue just before the previous international camp, and joked that whoever devised a four-match window deserved the sack, because an injury suffered a couple of days beforehand had ruled him out of four games rather than the two it should have cost him. “For me personally, I’m itching to get back out there,” he said.
Patience at Leeds
Wilson is with the national squad for the first time as a Leeds United player. With his Fulham contract up, he signed for the Yorkshire club on a free transfer in July, joining fellow countrymen Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Daniel James and Jayden Lienou at Elland Road.
After a spectacular final season at Fulham in which he was a first-team regular and scored 11 club goals, Wilson has had to be patient at Leeds. He has made only three Premier League starts so far, along with five substitute appearances, and is yet to score for his new club, who sit ninth in the top flight.
“When I wasn’t in the team, the team was doing well,” Wilson said. “I’m an honest player and I understand when I’ve been in starting XIs, and in teams where I’m doing well, I don’t want to be dropped.
“But more recently, wins have started to be a little bit more difficult to come by and I’ve started a few more games. I think that’s how football is. I’m a player that wants to play every game, but ultimately it’s the manager’s decision and the players who do play have to perform to stay in the team.”
Wales face Norway on Saturday, 14 November before hosting Portugal on Tuesday, 17 November in their final Group A4 fixture.