Wales player ratings v Norway: Brilliant ‘9’ as Cymru earn first Nations League win

Wales‘ ended a three match losing run with a 2-1 win against Norway at the Cardiff City Stadium in the UEFA Nations League.

Manchester City talent Oscar Bobb opened the scoring for the visitors after just 10 minutes, a smart one-two with Martin Ødegaard before dancing beyond Ben Davies and slotting home.

Cymru levelled in the 38th minute, a well-worked attacking move finished off by Daniel James from close range ensured the sides headed into the break.

A dream start to the second half for Craig Bellamy’s side saw substitute Thelo Aasgaard shown a straight red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity, before Neco Williams netted from the resulting free-kick on his 60th Wales cap.

The strike proved to be the winner with Cymru securing their first win of 2026 and their first three points in the Nations League ahead of their second meeting with Denmark on Sunday in Cardiff.

Wales player ratings v Norway

Danny Ward- 6

A relatively quiet night for the Wales shot-stopper, who didn’t have a lot to be content with beyond some long-range Norwegian efforts and a tame Haaland header, but was unable to keep out Bobb’s close-range strike.

Neco Williams – 9

Another brilliant performance from the full-back on both sides of the ball. He is often one of Cymru’s most consistent performers and showed why he plays at the top level. His free-kick goal topped a fantastic night for him.

Ben Cabango – 7

A solid performance from the Swansea City man against one of the best forwards in world football, Erling Haaland.

Ben Davies – 6

He will be disappointed with his defending for the opening goal and gave away possession with some sloppy passes, but he also dealt well with some dangerous deliveries from the away side.

Jay Dasilva – 6

He showed composure on the ball and did some good work going forward, but struggled at times defensively, with Norway getting in behind on the left on multiple occasions.

Liam Cullen – 5

He pressed well but struggled to get a major foothold in the game on a difficult night against the opposition midfield before being replaced in the 75th minute.

Jordan James – 5

He was caught on the wrong side of the ball too many times on a tough night against a very talented Norwegian midfield. He showed his frustration by picking up an early yellow card and was eventually replaced with 15 minutes to go.

Ethan Ampadu – 7

The strongest performance from a Wales midfielder. You could see that he’s a Premier League regular playing at a consistently high level, and he did a solid job on both sides of the ball.

Daniel James – 8

His speed, as it often does, caused problems down the right, and he did well to be in the right place to finish from close range for his goal.

Sorba Thomas – 9

A performance that showed how dangerous he can be when he’s at his best and feeling confident. He was consistently running at his defender and was the biggest attacking threat for Cymru, with some brilliant crosses, including the assist for the equaliser.

Lewis Koumas – 7

Another high-energy performance from the youngster, who has developed brilliantly over recent months. He struggled with the physicality of the Norwegian centre-backs but linked up well when the ball was on the floor.

Josh Sheehan – 6

He was unlucky not to get a goal shortly after entering the field following a tidy move with Sorba Thomas. A solid cameo from the Bolton Wanderers midfielder off the bench.

Joel Colwill – 5

The Cardiff City youngster entered the field in the 75th minute, helping Bellamy’s side over the line.

Brennan Johnson – 5

Johnson entered the field in the 75th minute, replacing the dangerous James, but failed to offer the same attacking threat.

Mark Harris – 5

A late substitute for Cymru, helping the side secure the three points.