(Credit: Manh Tung/Breaking Media)

Jacob Raw

Fri 27 March 2026 18:10, UK

Leeds United star Ethan Ampadu suffered heartbreak with Wales on Thursday, as his country was knocked out in the semi-finals of the World Cup qualifiers by Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties.

The Welshman was part of the Leeds contingent who all watched on in agony as their dreams of going to the World Cup were cut brutally short, but he is definitely not one to blame.

Ampadu wore the captain’s armband proudly against Bosnia, and after seeing his Leeds team-mate Dan James strike from distance, it felt like Wales were one step closer to booking their travels to North America this summer.

But it wasn’t meant to be, and though Wales are set for a friendly against Ghana next Thursday, the Whites will be welcoming back several unhappy players.

Ampadu has been fantastic for Leeds this season, and his statistics from the game prove he couldn’t have helped his country any more than he did.

These stats vs Bosnia prove Ethan Ampadu was not to blame for loss

Ampadu did almost get himself a sanction against Bosnia, but apart from that, he was colossal.

He’s also a regular starter under Craig Bellamy, who came away left “bewildered” that his side managed to lose on penalties, despite practising them all week.

The Leeds centre-back was not one of the penalty takers, but he did manage to play through the full 120 minutes.

As seen in the table above, Ampadu won 78 per cent of his ground duels, while also having a whopping 124 touches of the ball.

His side conceded three big chances in total, but that was mainly down to them being exploited down the wings, leaving Ampadu having to do all the cleaning up inside the area.

This was proven through his total of 12 defensive contributions, as he also picked up an impressive 7.9 Sofascore rating, despite the loss.

Hopefully, he comes back ready for another fight under Daniel Farke.

What did the Welsh media say about Ampadu’s performance?

It could have been very easy for the Welsh media to have gone harsh on some of Leeds’ players, considering the heartbreak that the team put everyone in the country through.

But in fact, it was the Whites’ star players who were the ones who gave Wales a fighting chance in the first place, with Karl Darlow also making an incredible save.

Clwbpeldroed wrote: “Donned the captain’s armband for Bellamy’s side with the absence of Ben Davies and provided a classy performance in the heart of midfield, constantly breaking up play and linking defence and attack,” giving him a seven out of 10 rating.

So, as mentioned before, Ampadu should realise that he couldn’t have done much more for his nation, as he needs to rest up and go again upon his return to Leeds.