World Cup 2022: Celebrations as Wales qualifies after 64 year wait
Wales #Wales
By Peter Shuttleworth & Paul PigottBBC News
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World Cup 2022: Fans joy as Wales qualify for Qatar finals
Wales has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 64 years after beating Ukraine in a play-off for this year’s finals in Qatar.
Wales beat Ukraine 1-0 in Cardiff after captain Gareth Bale’s free-kick was deflected into the visiting goal by Ukraine skipper Andriy Yarmolenko.
Wales will share Group B with USA, Iran and England at November’s World Cup.
Fans are celebrating with many telling BBC Wales they never thought they would see this moment in their lifetime.
Wales’ first minister, Michael Sheen, Gabby Logan, and a wealth of Welsh celebrities joined supporters from around the world praising the team.
“It’s amazing what we can achieve when the whole country comes together,” said Mark Drakeford.
“Commiserations to Ukraine – despite our differences on the field, Wales stands with you.”
Image source, Getty Images Image caption,
Wales players celebrate qualifying for their first World Cup since 1958
Fans leaving the Cardiff City Stadium after the game in the pouring rain sang and cheered as they celebrated Wales qualifying for the finals in Qatar in late November.
Speechless. 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴❤️
— Gabby Logan (@GabbyLogan) June 5, 2022 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
Ukraine fans had praised the home supporters for their welcome in Cardiff while the Welsh FA had invited the UK’s Ukrainian ambassador to the game in support to the people of Ukraine in the war with Russia.
🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️
— michael sheen 💙 (@michaelsheen) June 5, 2022 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
As well as holding banners in solidarity to Ukraine before kick-off, fans enjoyed a rousing rendition of Welsh football anthem Yma o Hyd from folk singer Dafydd Iwan.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption,
A Ukrainian supporter is consoled by her daughter
Image source, PA Media Image caption,
Wales fans had showed solidarity and support with supporters from Ukraine
Skipper Bale has said their win over Ukraine is the “greatest result in history of Welsh football” and that sentiment was echoed by fan Clive Frances who hailed Wales’ “amazing” achievement.
‘World Cup qualification means everything’
“It’s the first time in both of our lifetimes that we’ve seen Wales qualify for a World Cup final,” said the 63-year-old from Llanelli, who went to the game with his 14-year-old granddaughter Katie.
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Clive Frances has followed the Wales team across the world and now says he has to go to the World Cup
“I was born in 1959 so I missed the last time, so this is brilliant,” he said.
“I’ve followed Wales all over the world and been to three continents, but this will be my first World Cup, it’s tremendous and I’ve got to go. This means everything to me.”
Katie added: “It’s amazing and it’s amazing to see my grandad so happy.”
The Welsh team has narrowly missed out on qualifying for several World Cups since 1958 and lifelong fan David O’Gorman said that just makes qualifying for the 2022 finals sweeter.
‘We’ve had so many heartaches’
“I’ve no words to explain how I am feeling and what it means to me and my country,” said the 47-year-old computer programmer from Cardiff.
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David O’Gorman says he finds it hard to explain how much Wales qualifying for a World Cup means to him
“We’ve had so many heartbreaks so that makes today all the more unbelievable.”
Tracey Shanahan headed straight to the match after arriving home from Poland on Sunday afternoon, said the result made her feel proud to be Welsh.
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Tracey Shanahan said even the rain could not take the shine off an “emotional night”
“It makes me proud, very proud,” said the 56-year-old from Cardiff.
“It’s great for the fans, great for the team, great for the country. I’m a bit stuck for words to be honest, it’s a bit of an emotional night, it’s just fantastic, never-mind the rain it doesn’t matter.”
‘I never thought I’d see Wales at a World Cup’
Image caption,
Sal Farreed could not stop smiling leaving the Cardiff City Stadium after Wales qualified
Sal Farreed said he never thought he would see the day when Wales would be at a World Cup finals.
“Wales in the World Cup… This is bliss”, said the 50-year-old from Lampeter.
“I never thought I’d ever see this in my lifetime, I never thought this day would come.”
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Alex, Owen and Mike celebrate Wales’ win and qualification for the Qatar World Cup
Mike and his friend Alex, who have been watching Wales for over 30 years, said they “had seen many heartaches”, but it made the result “extra special”.
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster today I’m glad it worked out for us in the end”, said Alex, from Pontyclun near Cardiff, who was with son Owen.
“It’s been so many years of not quite qualifying and now finally doing it – we’re in the World Cup, so it’s amazing.”
Owen, 16, added he was “absolutely buzzing” and is glad that “everyone will know how we are now.”
‘They came and hugged us’
Ukrainian refugee and football fan Katerina Gorodnyca was at the game and said she had “never had so many hugs”.
“I’ve been to different stadiums and this was a really special place,” she said, adding that the support from Wales’ fans had been incredible.
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Katerina Gorodnyca and her son escaped the war in Ukraine and have been housed in Wales
“When our team didn’t win, it was the first time another team came to where Ukrainian fans [were sitting] and said thank you, and we said thank you to them for a good match.
“I never had so many hugs after the game because all of the Welsh fans came and hugged us and said “it’s just a game, but we support Ukraine”.
“It was really warm,” she said.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption,
The Ukraine team was well supported as they lost to Wales in Sunday’s World Cup play-off
“When me and my son came here we have felt so much support…it was so pleasant, we really appreciate it. We didn’t know a lot about Wales…I discovered this land, these people – and now my love of Wales.”
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker congratulated the Wales team after Sunday’s victory, tweeting: “It’s a shame it had to be at the expense of Ukraine, but it’s a wonderful achievement. Well played.”
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Wales fans all over the world will be celebrating long into the night after qualifying for a World Cup
BBC Wales reporter Paul Piggott at the Cardiff City Stadium
While the rain pours down on Cardiff some fans are still here celebrating, soaking up the atmosphere – they don’t care about the weather!
It’s been such an emotional moment, some fans were in tears, some were lost for words as they poured out of the stadium singing, celebrating and cheering
There’s one thing on every Welsh fans lips they are overjoyed to say Wales is going to the World Cup and no rain is going to dampen anyone’s mood after 64 years waiting.
When was the last time Wales qualified for a World Cup?
The Welsh men’s team have not played at football’s World Cup finals since 1958 – the longest drought of any team in Europe.
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Comedian Elis James explains how Wales made it to their only World Cup
Only Cuba and Indonesia – who played at the 1938 finals in France – have gone longer than Wales without qualifying for another World Cup final.
Football’s first world superstar Pele was the player to break Welsh hearts in Wales’ only previous World Cup appearance in 1958.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption,
Brazil superstar Pele scored his first international goal in their 1958 World Cup game with Wales
The then 17-year-old scored the only goal – and his first on the international stage – as eventual tournament winners Brazil beat Wales 1-0 in their quarter final.
The Welsh had been close to qualifying on numerous occasions since 1958 – most notably missing out after controversial penalties in 1977 and 1985, both times against Scotland, before Wales themselves squandered a penalty against Romania in 1993.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption,
Paul Bodin misses a penalty against Romania as Wales failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup
Wales broke the trend by qualifying for football’s European Championships in 2016 where the Welsh reached the semi-final – before reaching the last 16 of Euro 2020.