Wales fight back to beat ten-man Norway and end winless run
Wales found a way to win again.
They came from behind to beat ten-man Norway in the Nations League in Cardiff on 1 October, ending their winless run under head coach Craig Bellamy. BBC Sport
The match kicked off at 19:45 BST in the Welsh capital. Yahoo Sports Bellamy shuffled his side for the night, making five changes to his starting line-up. The BBC has published highlights of the best of the action, with that video available to UK users only. BBC Sport
The Nations League is UEFA's tournament for national teams, played in divisions with promotion and relegation from one cycle to the next. Wales and Norway are both in the top tier, League A, this time around. They earned that place by topping their League B groups in 2024-25, alongside England and Czechia. UEFA
That promotion was built on steady results. Cymru completed the double over Montenegro in that group campaign. FAW They were also held to a 2-2 draw away to Iceland along the way. FAW It was the kind of run that rewards consistency, where dropped points in one window can be recovered in the next.
This autumn has been harder. Wales opened this League A campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Portugal. BBC Sport Norway arrived in Cardiff with a mixed record of their own. They had won their opener 3-2 against Denmark, then lost 2-1 at home to Portugal before facing Wales. BBC Sport
History between these two nations is longer than many fans might expect. There have been 11 previous fixtures between Cymru and Norway, all played between 1982 and 2011. One of the most memorable finished as a 4-1 win for Cymru, with goals from Gareth Bale, Bellamy and two from Sam Vokes. That past gives this new meeting in Cardiff an extra edge, with both teams now meeting as equals in the top division.
Falling behind and then responding takes nerve. Playing against ten men — after a red card leaves the opposition a player short — brings its own test. The extra space can help, but it can also tempt a chasing team to rush and force the pass.
What makes this stand out is the timing. A comeback win stops questions from growing. It lifts a squad that Bellamy had reshuffled, and it gives supporters a shared moment after a slow start.
For fans, this means the group feels alive again. Wales have their first win of the campaign. Cardiff got the night it came for.
