The Welsh team defeated Ukraine in the final of Path A, thus obtaining their right to participate in the World Cup in Qatar this year. It will be the second time that a Welsh team has participated in the world’s biggest national team tournament. But then, when was that first and only time Wales were at a World Cup? Here we tell you.
Throughout history, the nations of Great Britain have participated in different editions of the World Cup. Great teams and legendary players born in British territory are part of the great history of soccer. However, there was one exception to that: Wales, the weakest of all British teams. A country where you breathe much more rugby than soccer.
Northern Ireland qualified for the World Cup 3 times and in George Best they had one of the greatest European players in history. Scotland participated in 8 editions and without a doubt the most successful British nation is England with 16 appearances and 1 Cup win (1966). Compared to these three nations, Wales has always been much more modest.
Wales’ return to the World Cups
Probably due to the enormous popularity of rugby, a sport in which Wales is one of the best in the world, soccer was always relegated to the background, and as if that were not enough, the results were disastrous. Entire generations of Welshmen watched their teams fail miserably to qualify for the World Cups.
The arrival of a player like Ryan Giggs, one of the main figures of the multi-champion Manchester United to the Welsh national team was an improvement, but even so the World Cup was still elusive for Wales. The years went by, Giggs continued to maintain a high level until almost the end of his career, but it was still insufficient.
Then came Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, but the Welsh were still left out and time was running out for these two figures too. The long-awaited chance for them and for all of Wales finally arrived: the Path A final against Ukraine. It could be said that it was the last chance for Bale and Ramsey, both 32 and 31 years old respectively, to play in the World Cup. Finally, thanks to an own goal from Yarmolenko, the long absence is over and Wales will go to the World Cup.
When was the last time Wales played a World Cup?
Wales‘s absence dates back so long that even people in their early 60s could say they never saw their country play the biggest national team tournament. The first and only World Cup played by Wales was Sweden 1958 (yes, that World Cup in which the best player was an almost 18-year-old boy named Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé) for a total of 64 years.
How did Wales do in that World Cup? To tell the truth, they did not do badly: they finished second in their group going to the quarterfinals. In those days, the World Cups were played by 16 teams divided into 4 groups where the first two advanced directly to the quarterfinals, there was no round of 16. There they lost 1-0 with Brazil, being without a doubt the most difficult rival of the Brazilians on their way to the title, since in the semifinals and final they beat France and Sweden, respectively, by the same result: 5-2.