Wales player ratings v Denmark: Costly ‘6’ as Cymru beaten in Cardiff

Wales ended their UEFA Nations League campaign with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Denmark at Cardiff City Stadium.

A costly mistake from Danny Ward proved to be the difference, with the goalkeeper’s misplaced pass allowing the visitors to win a penalty. Napoli forward Rasmus Højlund made no mistake from the spot, converting in the 75th minute to secure all three points for Denmark.

The result leaves Craig Bellamy’s side third in their UEFA Nations League group, level on points with Norway but ahead on goal difference. Wales will face both Norway and Portugal in their final round of fixtures in November.

Those two matches will be followed by the draw for the 2028 European Championship in December, with Bellamy hoping to guide Wales towards qualification for the tournament after they narrowly missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Wales player ratings v Denmark

Danny Ward – 6

An almost perfect performance was unfortunately undone by his costly mistake that led to Denmark’s penalty, ultimately costing Wales the game. It was a real shame, particularly after he had produced two outstanding saves to keep Denmark at bay earlier in the match.

Neco Williams – 6

He endured some difficult moments against the pace and movement of Mohamed Daramy and Rasmus Højlund, but still produced several moments of quality on both sides of the ball down the right flank.

Ben Cabango – 6

A shaky start to the game, but he grew into the contest as it went on, becoming increasingly influential. He also showed good game management by taking a smart yellow card to stop a dangerous counter-attack from the visitors.

Ben Davies – 6

The skipper was caught out of position on a couple of occasions, leading to some late, last-ditch tackles, but he was also in the right place to make several important blocks and clearances when needed. He was withdrawn late on as Cymru pushed for an equaliser.

Jay Dasilva – 6

The visitors found some success in getting in behind him on a few occasions, but it was an otherwise solid performance from the full-back, who linked up well with Sorba Thomas throughout the game.

Jordan James – 6

A strong performance in midfield from the Wolves man, who impressed with his forward runs and ability to play line-breaking passes before leaving the field early in the second half.

Ethan Ampadu – 7

Another strong performance in midfield from the Leeds United man, who helped dictate the tempo while consistently putting out fires across the pitch.

Liam Cullen – 6

He produced some excellent work defensively and found himself in several dangerous positions going forward, but was unable to find the killer pass in the final third. He was replaced shortly after Denmark opened the scoring.

Brennan Johnson – 7

His best performance in a Wales shirt for some time, looking confident going forward while also putting in the work defensively. He was replaced shortly after the visitors opened the scoring.

Sorba Thomas – 7

Another dangerous performance down the left, with his frightening pace once again causing problems for the visitors. He also delivered some dangerous balls into the box, but was unable to find any Wales teammates in attacking positions.

Lewis Koumas – 6

Another high-energy performance from the youngster during his 55 minutes on the field. If he can develop a more clinical edge in front of goal he will be an important player for Wales in the future.

Josh Sheehan – 6

An early second-half introduction for Cymru, he looked composed in possession and helped get the side moving forward.

Mark Harris – 5

An early second half change for Wales, he pressed well but didn’t have the desired impact in front of goal to get the side back in the game.

Wes Burns – 5

A late change for Wales after going behind, he didn’t have a major impact during his time on the field.

Joel Colwill – 5

A late change for Wales after going behind, he failed to have a significant impact off the bench.

Kieffer Moore – 5

A late change for Wales with them chasing an equaliser but he couldn’t find the goal needed.