Wales forced to look ahead as World Cup dream ends in penalty heartbreak

First up for Wales, on Tuesday, is the unappetising prospect of a friendly against fellow play-off losers Northern Ireland, who lost their semi-final against Italy in Bergamo on Thursday.

Longer term there is the potential of a home European Championship in 2028, with Wales co-hosting alongside England, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

“That was the talk after the game,” said Harry Wilson, who hit the bar early on against Bosnia-Herzegovina but could not deliver a decisive blow before the game went to penalties.

“We were all so desperate to get to America and play at the World Cup. To finish the qualifying so strongly, I felt we were in a really good position going into the semi-final and it just wasn’t meant to be.

“But we know that on that day we’re a really, really good team and we saw that throughout the qualifying campaign.

“Although we’re all disappointed, it’s about looking forward now. We’ve got a Nations League A campaign and then on to the next Euros, which we’re all desperate to play at home.”