Wales officially call up Liverpool forward for June 2026 fixtures

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from DaveOCKOP or go back to LFC Live.

Wales were unfortunate to miss out on 2026 World Cup with Craig Bellamy’s side not able to win their play-off tie in March. Image Credits: Imago ImagesIt has been a difficult few months for Welsh football.Craig Bellamy’s side came agonisingly close to booking their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in North America, only to be eliminated in heartbreaking fashion – losing on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off semi-final after surrendering a late lead.With the tournament set to kick off this summer without the Dragons, attention now turns to rebuilding and preparing for the future, and the June international window provides the first opportunity to do exactly that.Wales will face Ghana at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, 2 June before travelling to Bucharest to take on Romania at the 31,000-capacity Steaua Stadium on Saturday, 6 June – a fixture against a side who also suffered play-off heartbreak of their own.Both matches serve as important preparation ahead of Wales’ return to UEFA Nations League A action in the autumn, where they will face the likes of Portugal, Denmark and Norway.Among those called up for the two friendlies is Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas.The 20-year-old has been included in Craig Bellamy’s squad as the manager looks to cast his eye over some of Wales’ brightest young talent during a summer free from major tournament football.Koumas has been on the fringes of the setup for some time now and will be eager to use these fixtures to nail down a more prominent role in the national team.The striker was part of the Hull City side that secured a dramatic promotion to the Premier League last weekend, with Oli McBurnie’s 94th-minute winner at Wembley settling a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final.It was a fairytale ending to a remarkable season for the Tigers, and Koumas played his part in it.Now, with Hull heading to the Premier League, questions will inevitably arise around his long-term future.Having spent time on loan at Stoke City, Birmingham City, and most recently Hull, the 20-year-old — who has been at Liverpool since joining from Tranmere Rovers as an under-11 – may well be eyeing a more permanent arrangement.