England and Wales Squad Set for Historic Friendly Match at Iconic Wembley Stadium!

Image source: Huw Evans Picture Agency/Getty Images

Image caption: Wales manager Craig Bellamy (left) and England manager Thomas Tuchel

Published 9 hours ago

This year, Wales and England will renew their age-old rivalries with a friendly match scheduled for October at Wembley Stadium. This fixture marks the first meeting of these home nations in 146 years and is part of preparation for upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

The October 9th friendly will serve as practice leading up to England’s away game against Latvia later that month, followed by Wales’ crucial home match with Belgium. Thomas Tuchel embarks on his tenure as the new England manager when they face Albania in Group K World Cup qualifying matches next month. Similarly, Craig Bellamy is set to lead Wales into their first major tournament appearance since 2018 against Kazakhstan in Group J.

The two nations have faced each other an astounding 104 times since their inaugural match way back in 1879, with the most recent encounter occurring during the 2022 World Cup when England comfortably defeated Wales 3-0. The last time they played at Wembley was behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020, also resulting in a 3-0 victory for England.

The last time fans got to see Wales play against England at Wembley was during a Euro 2012 qualifier on September 14, 2011. Unfortunately, Craig Bellamy missed that match due to suspension while playing under Gary Speed’s Liverpool side. During his illustrious career with Liverpool and Team GB in the Olympics of 2012 against UAE, he only played a few games at Wembley C mostly as a substitute.

The sole victory for Wales at Wembley came way back on October 7, 1977, during a Home Internationals match where Leighton James’ penalty sealed their first triumph in England since the 1930s. Additionally, Wales has an upcoming friendly fixture against Canada scheduled for September 9th at Swansea.com Stadium; this will be the first time they’ve faced off against Canadian footballers since winning a friendly match on May 20, 2004, away from home in Wrexham.

Related topics include: Wales Men’s Football Team | Football England Men’s Football Team