diff --git a/packages/router/src/shared.ts b/packages/router/src/shared.ts
index 21a7af80ac6..2ccfb2e10c7 100644
--- a/packages/router/src/shared.ts
+++ b/packages/router/src/shared.ts
@@ -193,16 +193,6 @@ export function defaultUrlMatcher(
     // The actual URL is shorter than the config, no match
     return null;
   }
-  if (
-    // If the wildcard is not at the end of the path, it must match at least one segment.
-    // e.g. `foo/**/bar` does not match `foo/bar`.
-    wildcardIndex > -1 &&
-    pre.length > 0 &&
-    post.length > 0 &&
-    pre.length + post.length === segments.length
-  ) {
-    return null;
-  }
 
   if (route.pathMatch === 'full' && segmentGroup.hasChildren() && route.path !== '**') {
     // The config is longer than the actual URL but we are looking for a full match, return null
diff --git a/packages/router/test/recognize.spec.ts b/packages/router/test/recognize.spec.ts
index 743936f63ab..9698a6a999a 100644
--- a/packages/router/test/recognize.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/router/test/recognize.spec.ts
@@ -650,14 +650,49 @@ describe('recognize', () => {
         const s = await recognizer('foo/a/b/c/bar');
         checkActivatedRoute(s.root.firstChild!, 'foo/a/b/c/bar', {}, ComponentA);
       });
-      it('does not match a url with no segments for the wildcard', async () => {
-        await expectAsync(recognizer('foo/bar')).toBeRejected();
+      it('matches a url with no segments for the wildcard', async () => {
+        const s = await recognizer('foo/bar');
+        checkActivatedRoute(s.root.firstChild!, 'foo/bar', {}, ComponentA);
       });
 
       it('does not match a url with a wrong suffix', async () => {
         await expectAsync(recognizer('foo/a/b/baz')).toBeRejected();
       });
     });
+
+    describe('with prefix', () => {
+      const recognizer = (url: string) => {
+        const config = [{path: 'foo/**', component: ComponentA}];
+        return recognize(config, url);
+      };
+
+      it('matches a url with segments after the prefix', async () => {
+        const s = await recognizer('foo/a/b');
+        checkActivatedRoute(s.root.firstChild!, 'foo/a/b', {}, ComponentA);
+      });
+
+      it('matches a url with no segments after the prefix', async () => {
+        const s = await recognizer('foo');
+        checkActivatedRoute(s.root.firstChild!, 'foo', {}, ComponentA);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('with suffix', () => {
+      const recognizer = (url: string) => {
+        const config = [{path: '**/bar', component: ComponentA}];
+        return recognize(config, url);
+      };
+
+      it('matches a url with segments before the suffix', async () => {
+        const s = await recognizer('a/b/bar');
+        checkActivatedRoute(s.root.firstChild!, 'a/b/bar', {}, ComponentA);
+      });
+
+      it('matches a url with no segments before the suffix', async () => {
+        const s = await recognizer('bar');
+        checkActivatedRoute(s.root.firstChild!, 'bar', {}, ComponentA);
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('componentless routes', () => {
@@ -877,6 +912,52 @@ describe('recognize', () => {
       expect(s.root.firstChild!.data['id']).toEqual('b');
     });
   });
+
+  describe('with required param before wildcard', () => {
+    const recognizer = (url: string) => {
+      const config = [
+        {
+          path: 'foo/:anyRequired/**/bar',
+          component: ComponentA,
+        },
+      ];
+      return recognize(config, url);
+    };
+
+    it('matches with one segment for wildcard', async () => {
+      const s = await recognizer('foo/required/a/bar');
+      checkActivatedRoute(
+        s.root.firstChild!,
+        'foo/required/a/bar',
+        {anyRequired: 'required'},
+        ComponentA,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('matches with multiple segments for wildcard', async () => {
+      const s = await recognizer('foo/required/a/b/c/bar');
+      checkActivatedRoute(
+        s.root.firstChild!,
+        'foo/required/a/b/c/bar',
+        {anyRequired: 'required'},
+        ComponentA,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('matches with no segments for wildcard', async () => {
+      const s = await recognizer('foo/required/bar');
+      checkActivatedRoute(
+        s.root.firstChild!,
+        'foo/required/bar',
+        {anyRequired: 'required'},
+        ComponentA,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('does not match without the required segment', async () => {
+      await expectAsync(recognizer('foo/bar')).toBeRejected();
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 async function recognize(