Ben Davies has lifted the Wales captain’s armband 103 times, and on Thursday night in Cardiff he did something he had never done in the colours: win a match in Nations League A. Wales came from behind to beat Norway 2-1 at Cardiff City Stadium, Daniel James cancelling out Oscar Bobb’s 11th-minute opener before Neco Williams drove in a free-kick three minutes after the restart, moments after Torbjorn Heggem had been sent off. It was Wales’ first victory at the top tier of the competition at the ninth attempt, and the first time under Craig Bellamy that they have beaten a side ranked above them.
Denmark arrive at the same ground on Sunday, and Davies wants the evidence to stack up rather than stand alone.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where you feel like you’re not competing against bigger teams,” the Tottenham defender said. “I thought we laid a good marker down the other night to show that we do belong playing against these teams.”
A week that has already cut both ways
Wales have met Denmark once already this campaign and the memory is not a kind one. On 27 September at Parken, Brian Riemer’s side won 2-0, the opening goal arriving off Davies himself — a free-kick delivery deflected past Wales’ own goalkeeper on 53 minutes — before Gustav Isaksen settled matters 13 minutes later. Wales had lost 1-0 to Portugal in their opener and left Copenhagen with no points and no goals.
Then came Norway, and the arithmetic changed completely. Group 4 now reads Portugal nine points, with Denmark, Norway and Wales all on three. Denmark’s record is the most volatile of the three: beaten 3-2 by Norway, then 4-2 by Portugal, scoring six and conceding seven across three matches. For a team ranked fourth in the world against one ranked 21st, that is not the profile of a side cruising through the group.
Bellamy must reshuffle. Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor, David Brooks and Harry Wilson are all unavailable, which means the XI that beat Norway cannot simply be rolled out again three days later. Denmark are without Mikkel Damsgaard, ruled out with an ankle problem.
Davies has been here long enough to know what the venue is worth. “It does make a big difference going away,” he said. “When we played Norway in Cardiff, it’s our home, our fans, our atmosphere. You just know you have to try to make your home advantage count.”
Two sides shaped by the same spring
There is a symmetry to this fixture that neither squad will enjoy being reminded of. Wales and Denmark will both watch the 2026 World Cup from home, and both were eliminated from the play-offs on penalties within days of each other.
Wales finished second to Belgium in Group J, losing 4-3 and 4-2 to them, then went out at Cardiff City Stadium — Sunday’s venue — to Bosnia and Herzegovina. James put Wales ahead with a long-range strike, Edin Dzeko equalised, and Bosnia won the shoot-out. Denmark reached the play-off final and drew 2-2 with Czechia after extra time before Matej Kovar saved from Anders Dreyer, with Rasmus Hojlund and Mathias Jensen also missing. Czechia went 3-1 on penalties.
That shared disappointment is why the Nations League matters more than it might otherwise. For Wales it is the only competitive stage available until Euro 2028 qualifying, and the only measuring stick against the quality of opposition they failed to survive in March.
What Sunday decides
Portugal’s perfect record makes first place and a quarter-final berth a long shot for everyone else, and relegation is the more pressing arithmetic for the bottom side. Wales sit fourth only on goal difference — minus two, against minus one for both Denmark and Norway — so a home win would lift them above Denmark on points and begin to repair the damage done in Copenhagen. Defeat would leave them propping up a group where three teams are separated by goals alone, with three matchdays left in November.
The wider question is the one Davies keeps returning to: whether the Norway result was a breakthrough or a bounce. Wales earned promotion to League A by winning their previous group, and the six-match winless run that followed suggested the step up had been too steep. Beating a Norway side containing Erling Haaland, who was kept quiet all evening, answered part of that. Beating the fourth-ranked team in the world would answer most of the rest.
“The teams at this level are all strong,” Davies said. “All the games are going to be tough but we’re here to compete.”
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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