Wales saw its hopes of maintaining top-tier status in the Nations League falter following a 3-1 defeat against Norway in Oslo, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
Craig Bellamy’s squad controlled the first half and generated several scoring opportunities, though the match remained scoreless at the interval.
The momentum shifted after the hour mark when Norway’s Antonio Nusa struck from the edge of the penalty area.
The hosts extended their lead nine minutes later when Andreas Schjelderup capitalized on a combined effort from Nusa and Erling Haaland.
Wales attempted a comeback when substitute David Brooks scored with a delicate chip, but the effort proved insufficient.
Haaland secured the victory for Norway by converting a penalty after Connor Roberts fouled Schjelderup, according to the coverage from Yahoo Sports.
This result allows Norway to leapfrog Wales into third place within Group A4, ensuring that the Welsh side will finish at the bottom of the table.
Even if Wales secures a victory in its final match against Portugal on Tuesday, the team cannot overcome Norway or Denmark due to an inferior head-to-head record.
Consequently, the team is now almost certain to compete in a relegation play-off against a League B opponent during March.
The loss also means that Wales will not be positioned among the top seeds for the upcoming Euro 2028 qualifying campaign.
Bellamy had previously stated that his team would be going “all out” for victory, as noted by Yahoo Sports.
Despite the disappointment, the manager and his players may view the probable play-off as a second chance to remain in the top division.
For Norway, the win served as a measure of revenge for their defeat in Cardiff one month prior.
Haaland, who struggled to make an impact in the earlier meeting, concluded the match with an assist and his 66th international goal, per the reports.