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Having remained unbeaten in his initial nine matches, Bellamy was on the verge of matching a national record, had his team managed to secure a result in Belgium – and they nearly achieved it in an extraordinarily dramatic manner.
Brussels is a familiar place for Bellamy, as he resided there while serving as a coach with Anderlecht.
However, the first half presented an unfamiliar situation for him on the sidelines, observing as his Wales side was torn apart by a Belgian team that had regained its enthusiasm.
Rediscovering that enthusiasm? In a city well-known for its potent beers, Wales might have remarked: "Let me show you."
This is a squad that Bellamy has crafted in his own likeness. They are bold, adventurous, and unafraid to take risks in their pursuit of success.
According to Bellamy, playing conservatively for a draw does not align with their approach, and Wales demonstrated this with a remarkable comeback, recovering from a 3-0 deficit to equalize.
A penalty from Harry Wilson, a calm low shot from Sorba Thomas, and a headed goal from Brennan Johnson had Belgium on edge and Wales dreaming.
Kevin de Bruyne ultimately sealed a 4-3 victory for Belgium, but Bellamy couldn’t hide his smile when asked for his reflections.
“I dislike losing. I grasp the game, yet how one loses carries greater significance,” he remarked.
“What defines you as an individual? What characterizes your team? I recognize that, and I am incredibly proud. We are a good team.
“I comprehend the importance of results, truly I do, but football means more to me than just that. It always has. I’d prefer to attempt something remarkable and fail than to achieve nothing and succeed.”
Neither Bellamy nor his players are constrained by the dread of losing. This is the reason for their positive beginnings under his leadership.
Shifting from the spiritual essence of the sport to the hard facts, this initial loss under Bellamy has removed Wales from the top of their World Cup qualifying group.
North Macedonia now leads the group with eight points from four matches, Wales sits in second with seven points from four, while Belgium shadow them with four points from two.
Wales and Belgium will meet again in Cardiff come October, rekindling a rivalry that has gifted Welsh football some of its most treasured moments in the last decade.
Wales is undefeated in their last four home encounters against Belgium, and Bellamy believes more excitement lies ahead in Group J.
“To face a top-eight ranked team in the world and can we play in our desired style? I think the Belgian players noticed it too,” Bellamy expressed.
“I believe I read something from the Belgian press – ‘an easy route to the USA’? There’s plenty of spirit in this group, and today I observed a lot of vitality in this team.
“We are not going anywhere. I will take a couple of weeks to recharge, but I’m immensely proud and genuinely excited about the upcoming journey.”
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