Wales are in the same group as England, USA and Iran which gives fans some optimism regarding progress to the next round. Wales are set to line up with a three-man defence, allowing rampant wing-backs Connor Roberts and Neco Williams to flood forward and Bale to operate from his favoured right flank.
Bale insists he will arrive from stateside in peak fitness despite only playing more than 60 minutes twice since joining Los Angeles FC in the summer. Another major concern is the fitness of Joe Allen, who has been absent since September with a hamstring problem.
Wales road to Qatar
Wales qualifyng group included 5 Countries. Belgium and Czech Republic did not leave Wales with much room for error. The game against Belgium came first, Wales took an early lead before being pegged back and ending up on the losing side 3-1. Wales finished second in the group, five points behind Belgium, before playing Austria and Ukraine in the play-offs
Wales recent World Cup performances
Wales failed to qualify for the last World Cup in Russia and the previous tournament in 2014. The Welsh team went unbeaten in their final seven games of qualifying to come into the Qatar World Cup in good form.
Wales final World Cup squad
Gareth Bale headlines the Wales squad. He is their most important player by far, leading from the front and leading by example. Daniel James is another one who will bring a dynamism to their attack with his pace and direct play.
Take a look at the full Wales World cup squad here
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), Danny Ward (Leicester), Adam Davies (Sheffield United).
Defenders: Ben Davies (Tottenham), Ben Cabango (Swansea), Tom Lockyer (Luton), Joe Rodon (Rennes, on loan from Tottenham), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Ethan Ampadu (Spezia, on loan from Chelsea), Chris Gunter (AFC Wimbledon), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest), Connor Roberts (Burnley).
Midfielders: Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield), Joe Allen (Swansea), Matthew Smith (MK Dons), Dylan Levitt (Dundee United), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joe Morrell (Portsmouth), Jonny Williams (Swindon), Aaron Ramsey (Nice), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Forwards: Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC), Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth), Mark Harris (Cardiff), Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest), Dan James (Fulham, on loan from Leeds).
See the list of every country's World Cup squads here
Wales star player
Gareth Bale
The country’s all-time record goalscorer and captain is the prince of Welsh football and while they are more than just a one man team, he is central to their hopes of having a good tournament.
Bale is a huge influence on this Wales team and his ability to produce moments from nothing will be key. At 33, he may not be the player he once was but he is still comfortably the best player on the team.
Wales Coach
Wales coach, Rob Paige is the former Portvale and Northampton manager. Perhaps not the most experienced, he has a closeness with the players, owing to his time managing the under-21 team.
Paige led Wales at Euro 2020 following Giggs’s arrest and signed a four-year contract after Giggs’s resignation in June. Hugely respected by players and staff, Page has proved an inspirational leader.
Wales World Cup group fixtures
Wales vs USA - 21 November, 7pm.
Wales vs Iran - 25 November, 11am.
Wales vs England - 29 November, 7pm
Wales betting odds
Wales have been given the 20th best chance of winning the World Cup by the bookies with odds of 165.00