Wales head coach Craig Bellamy remains unhappy with how Jesse Marsch and Canadian men’s national team celebrated a 1-0 win over his side in an international friendly match in September. He’s hoping to have a shot at revenge in June.
Wales is part of the Path A European Qualifying group whose winner will face Canada in their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto. To reach the tournament, Wales will have to defeat Bosnia-Herzegovina in their playoff semifinal on March 26 and then beat the winner of Italy-Northern Ireland five days later.
“I hope I see you [Marsch and Canada] at the World Cup” Bellamy told the BBC, repeating a statement he made in September.
“...I always have that on my mind. Just get there first. We’ve got to get there first but, if that is the case, then we [Marsch and Bellamy] will definitely have a nice conversation before that as well.
“I’ve got nothing against that guy, by the way, I think he’s got something against the world. There’s a part of me that really likes him from afar without really knowing him.
“But some of the things he says, you see his interviews before the other games after playing us... I think I find him very interesting.”
Bellamy was outspoken in his frustration with what he saw as celebrations from the Canadian side before the final whistle blew in Swansea three months ago.
“I really hate losing, more than I like winning. And there’s a big difference in that,” Bellamy said in his postgame availability at the time. “And I see them celebrating at the end, I’m like (long pause) ‘I hope I see you in a World Cup. I hope I see you again.’
“But I have to also as well be gracious. Thank Jesse for shaking his coaches’ hands before the final whistle,” he added sarcastically. “I have to get used to that. I don’t want to get used to it. But yeah, I have to take it on the chin.”
Marsch downplayed the situation at the situation at the time, but threw fuel on the fire when asked about it in October.
“After we beat Wales, [Bellamy] made up some ridiculousness about how we were celebrating because he was trying to take away from the fact that they lost to Canada,” Marsch said, per the BBC.
“The point is, this is a different Canada. This is a talented Canada. This is a team that doesn’t fear anyone.”
Wales reached their first World Cup since 1958 in 2022, though Bellamy only took over managerial duties in 2024.
The Path A playoff winner will join Canada’s Group B with Switzerland and Qatar at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
