What needs to happen now to qualify for finals

WALES' hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup have been dealt a major blow after a 4-2 defeat by Belgium at Cardiff City Stadium on Monday night - but all is not lost for Craig Bellamy's side.

- By GLEN WILLIAMS

The 4-2 defeat has left Wales facing a steep uphill task to nab top spot in Group J with just two matches remaining.

While Wales' path to automatic qualification is now extremely narrow, Bellamy's men remain firmly on course for a playoff place thanks to their UEFA Nations League ranking.

Here's how things stand - and what Wales now need from the final round of fixtures.

Wales' defeat to Belgium means their hopes of finishing top and qualifying automatically are hanging by a thread.

They now sit four points behind Belgium and three behind North Macedonia, with just two matches left to play: