Sorba Thomas believes Belgium did not show Wales 'respect' during 4-3 World Cup qualifying defeat, Craig Bellamy 'really proud'
Updated 09/06/2025 at 23:35 GMT+1
Kevin De Bruyne scored an 88th-minute winner to hand Belgium a crucial 4-3 victory in their frenetic World Cup Qualifier against Wales. After the match, Welsh goalscorer Sorba Thomas said he did not think Belgium showed his side enough respect during the match. The hosts went 3-0 up in Brussels, but Wales showed immense heart to pull it back to 3-3 before eventually falling to defeat.
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Sorba Thomas believes Belgium did not show Wales the "respect" they deserved during his side's 4-3 defeat at the Stade Roi Baudouin.
Goals from Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku put Belgium 3-0 up inside 30 minutes, but Harry Wilson pulled one back from the penalty spot during first-half stoppage time.
Thomas and Brennan Johnson got their side back on level terms after half-time, but Kevin De Bruyne broke Welsh hearts in the 88th minute with the winner.
The defeat was Wales' first in their World Cup Qualifying group and Craig Bellamy's only loss since taking charge of the side in July 2024.
"For us to go 3-0 down, I felt like we made a lot of mistakes that gave them goals," Thomas told BBC Match of the Day.
"I don't think they showed us the respect we deserved. I think when they went 3-0 up they thought the game was done, but we showed our Welsh fire.
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"The gaffer's been saying in interviews [that] we're a close group, we fight for each other, we play for each other, we'd run through brick walls for each other.
"The second half showed what we're about. Even though we lost the game, I feel like we won it in our own heads.
"Against countries like this you'll be punished. I can't wait to play these when we get back to Cardiff."
'We need to win these games'
The defeat sees Wales drop into second place in Group J, one point behind leaders North Macedonia. They are now just three points ahead of third-placed Belgium, who also have two games in hand.
Bellamy believes Wales will take a lot from the performance despite falling to defeat.
"I'm really proud, we didn't cope with the momentum in the first half when the penalty went against us," he told BBC Sport.
"We suffered for a period, but then we got a penalty, and that gave us that belief. I have to be honest, since September I've really felt proud to be their coach.
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"Second half they saw what they could do, they have to understand how good they are, and that was pleasing.
"To come to a top-eight team in the world and to play that way, it's going to give us so much.
"I don't like the defeat, and I don't feel 'oh unlucky Wales'. We need to win these games.
"But after being 3-0 down, where it could've gone the other way, for them to believe in themselves, that will give us so much going forward."
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