Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina - Your guide to the World Cup play-off

Wales and Bosnia-Herzegovina face each other at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 26 March for a place in a World Cup European qualifying play-off final.

The winners will then face either Italy or Northern Ireland at home on Tuesday, 31 March for a place at the finals in Canada, Mexico and United States this summer.

Wales are aiming to be at their second successive World Cup tournament, having reached Qatar in 2022, where they failed to progress from the pool stage.

Sergej Barbarez's Bosnia-Herzegovina are looking to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 2014. However, they have taken part in four previous play-off campaigns for major tournaments (World Cup and Euros) and have never won a single match in seven attempts, drawing three and losing four.

Craig Bellamy's Wales sit 31st in the Fifa world rankings, 40 places above the visitors, making them favourites to continue dreaming of only a third ever finals appearance.

The match kicks off at 19:45 GMT and will be live on BBC One Wales and S4C along with full match commentary and reaction on BBC Sounds via Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru.

The broadcasts - other than S4C - will also be available on the BBC Sport website and app where you can follow blow-by-blow action with our live text commentary.

For all the build-up and analysis, follow the football and Wales sections on the BBC Sport website.

Italy host Northern Ireland at the same time with comprehensive BBC Sport coverage also available of that game.

Both games have to be decided on the night - so if they are level after 90 minutes they will go to extra time and penalties if needed.

Wales will once again be without long-term skipper Aaron Ramsey who has not played for his country since September 2024. Full-back Connor Roberts also remains absent having not figured for Burnley this season through injury.

Head coach Bellamy will also be without Tottenham defender Ben Davies, Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore and West Bromwich Albion centre-back Chris Mepham because of injury.

They are replaced in the 26-man squad by Wrexham goalkeeper Danny Ward, left-back Rhys Norrington Davies - on loan at Queens Park Rangers from Sheffield United - and Rangers forward Rabbi Matondo.

Barbarez's 25-strong squad includes former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac - currently with Italian Serie A side Atalanta - Amir Hadziahmetovic on loan at Championship club Hull City from Turkish side Besiktas, and former Manchester City, Roma and Inter Milan striker Edin Dzeko.

Double Premier League title winner Dzeko turned 40 last week and is currently playing in Bundesliga 2 for Schalke 04.

The squad also includes two uncapped goalkeepers in Osman Hadzikic and RC Lens defender Nidal Celik.

Wales have won five of their last six home competitive matches.

They finished runners-up to automatic qualifiers Belgium in Group J - sealing home advantage for their play-off semi-final with a 7-1 victory over North Macedonia.

After succeeding Robert Page in July 2024, Bellamy enjoyed the best ever start as Wales boss - unbeaten in his first nine games. He then saw his side lose four of their next five matches, twice to Belgium in qualifying and friendlies against England and Canada. They wrapped-up qualifying with two back-to-back victories.

Bosnia-Herzegovina finished second to Austria in Group H - which also included Romania, Cyprus and San Marino.

They won five and lost only one of their eight games, scoring 17 goals.

Unbeaten in four games since losing 2-1 at home to Austria in September 2025, they drew their final game 1-1 against the Austrians in Vienna last November, a result that denied them automatic qualification as they conceded 13 minutes from time.

Veteran forward Djeko was their top scorer in qualifying with five goals and only Robert Lewandowski for Poland (34) and Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal (34) have scored more Uefa World Cup qualifier goals than Dzeko (30 in 44 games).

Harry Wilson was Wales' leading marksmen in qualifying, also scoring five goals including a hat-trick against North Macedonia.

Wilson has been involved in 17 goals in his past 20 internationals (11 goals, 6 assists), including 12 in his last 12 (9 goals, 3 assists).

The Fulham forward has also scored 10 Premier League goals this season, with two in his past three matches for the London club.

There have been only four previous meetings between the two nations, with Bosnia-Herzegovina having won twice and Wales managing two draws.

Their first encounter was in 2003 at what was then the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, since renamed the Principality Stadium. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.

In August 2012 Bosnia-Herzegovina won 2-0 at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli in another friendly.

A 0-0 2016 Euro qualifier draw followed at Cardiff City Stadium in October 2014, with a 2-0 win for Bosnia-Herzegovina in the return leg 12 months later.