CARDIFF — Harry Wilson will captain Wales in their 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 26 March at 19:45 GMT.

Wilson has scored 12 of his 17 international goals since Gareth Bale retired from the Wales national team in 2023, more than any other Welsh player during that period. The 27-year-old demonstrated his importance to the team in November when he captained Wales and scored a hat-trick in their 7-1 victory over North Macedonia.

"Sometimes it just clicks for a player. The older you get, not just as a footballer but as a person, the wiser you become, the smarter you become. His football IQ is very high," said Wales head coach Craig Bellamy.

Wilson has scored 10 goals and provided six assists for Fulham in the Premier League this season. He won a December goal of the month award for his outside-of-the-boot strike against Crystal Palace. Only Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo has outscored his expected goals by as much as Wilson in the Premier League this season.

"I'm not sure why it's taken others so long to realise it because he's always been at those levels and for us it's no surprise. Everyone has known his qualities, but this year it's been nice to see the wider audience speak about him more because we know what he can do with the magic of his left foot," said Wales international footballer Ethan Ampadu.

If Wales beat Bosnia-Herzegovina in the semi-final, they will host either Italy or Northern Ireland in the final on the following Tuesday. Wales qualified for the 2022 World Cup through play-off victories over Austria and Ukraine, with Gareth Bale scoring all three goals in those matches.

Wilson became Wales' youngest ever international at age 16. While under contract at Liverpool, he spent time on loan at six different clubs before joining Fulham. In his first three seasons at Fulham after helping the club gain promotion to the Premier League, more than half of his appearances were as a substitute. He has scored several long-range strikes for Wales, with most of them scored with his left foot.