Wales vs. Ukraine result: Gareth Bale and Co. seal 2022 Qatar World Cup spot

Sean Markus Clifford ,
Dan Gibbs
• 13 min read

Wales' 64-year wait to appear in a World Cup is finally over after they defeated Ukraine 1-0 in their qualifying playoff final.

An Andriy Yarmolenko own goal proved to be the difference in Cardiff on Sunday as Wales secured their spot in Qatar and their first appearance at a World Cup since 1958.

They'll now face England, Iran and the USA in Group B when the tournament kicks off in November.

Ukraine summoned great strength to defeat Scotland in their semifinal at Hampden Park earlier this week, despite some of their players not having played a competitive match in months due to the ongoing invasion of their country by Russia, but Wales proved a step too far.

While Wales will have Yarmolenko's 34th minute header into his own net off Gareth Bale's free-kick to thank, high praise is also needed for goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey with the 35-year-old putting in the performance of his life with several key saves to keep Ukraine at bay.

Bale, who is looking for a new club this summer after choosing to leave Real Madrid, described today as "the greatest result in Welsh football history."

"We're going to a World Cup!" he said. "It means everything, what dreams are made of, we've been working towards it since I first came in here.

"Words can't describe how we feel at the moment."

Asked if he may postpone any plans to retire, the Wales talisman replied: "Maybe for a little bit!"

Check out The Sporting News' live score updates and commentary below to see how the match unfolded.

MORE: World Cup 2022 Group B draw: England, USA, Iran, Wales schedule & fixtures

Wales vs. Ukraine final score

  1H 2H Final
Wales   1   0    1
Ukraine   0   0    0

Goals: 

WAL - Andriy Yarmolenko (OG) - 34th min

Wales vs. Ukraine live commentary, highlights from World Cup playoff final

FULL-TIME: Wales 1-0 Ukraine

Ukraine's journey ends in heartbreak but Wales have done it! They'll be in Qatar this November for the 2022 World Cup. Jubilant scenes as the final whistle goes and Wales, after 64 years, will be competing in a World Cup.

*Only available in the UK

90th min + 4: Mykhaylo Mudryk gets a yellow for a late challenge. Wales are almost there.

90th min + 3: Williams is taken off for defender Rhys Norrington-Davies.

90th min + 2: Yarmolenko shifts the ball onto his right foot on the edge of the box and gets a good strike away but it goes just over the bar.

90th min + 1: Williams is clattered in his own box while clearing the ball. It's all getting very scrappy and desperate.

90th min: Five minutes added on. Wales can't keep possession at the moment and they're sat deep, inviting Ukraine pressure.

88th min: Hennessey gathers another comfortable save. The fans are belting out his name. What a performance so far from the former Crystal Palace shot-stopper. Into the final few minutes in Cardiff.

85th min: Wales have a free-kick in Bale territory... but he's off so Wilson takes it and it hits the wall and goes out for a corner.

84th min: What a save! Dovbyk has a free header from a cross and Hennessey pulls off a stunning one-handed save to his left to deny him. Wales are living dangerously.

82nd min: Harry Wilson is on for Bale, who unsurprisingly goes off to a standing ovation from the home crowd.

78th min: Davies is in the right place at the right time once again, this time blocking Yarmolenko's goal-bound effort from close range. 

77th min: Dovbyk and Mudryk are on for Yaremchuk and Tsygankov. Ukraine running out of time.

76th min: Johnson hits the post for Wales! He's unmarked at the back post from a cross but his first-time effort rattles off the woodwork. Moments later Bale has a huge chance too. He makes good contact with the ball from inside the box but it's a great save down low.

75th min: Shaparenko shoots from distance but it's a poor effort and flys into the stands.

73rd min: Myolenko gets down the left and crosses into the box but it's straight into the hands of Hennessey.

71st min: Wales make their first sub, James is replaced for Johnson.

70th min: Double change for Ukraine as Sydorchuk and Shaparenko come on for Malinovskyi and Stepanenko.

68th min: Allen is caught in possession in a dangerous area and Ukraine go on the attack but Davies once again clears with a big sliding tackle.

66th min: Ruslan Malinovskyi takes a shot from 20 yards out but it goes just wide of the post.

63rd min: James is presented with a half-chance at the other end but his shot takes a big deflection high up into the air and Bushchan has to back pedal to tip over.

60th min: Heroic defending from Ben Davies. He comes from nowhere to get the tackle in on Yarmolenko, who was just about to slot past Hennessey from close range after being being played in by Tsygankov.

56th min: Hennessey comes to Wales' rescue again. Tsygankov's sliding effort is kept out at his near post by a good save and the rebound falls to  Yaremchuk but he can't adjust his feet in time and slices it wide from six yards out.

51st min: Wales coach Robert Page gets a yellow card. He's not happy with a late tackle on James and referee Mateu Lahoz doesn't like Page's furious reaction so gets his cards out.

47th min: Ramsey must do better with a big chance! Kieffer Moore goes on a bursting run down the left flank and crosses the ball into the box and the former Arsenal man hits it first time, but doesn't get the cleanest of connections and it goes wide.

We're underway!

HALF-TIME: Wales 1-0 Ukraine

45th + 1 min: James curls a shot from the edge of the box but it's an easy save. 

43rd min: A few whistles from the home crowd for half-time already. Wales need it with Ukraine putting pressure on and they win a corner. A dangerous ball into the six-yard box is begging to be hit but Hennessey gathers.

40th min: Ukraine feel they should have a penalty. Joe Allen clears the ball in the box but Yarmolenko sneaks in ahead of him and just takes it away from him before he can connect. After a VAR check it's not given. Wales breathe a huge sigh of relief.

38th min: That goal has certainly got the home crowd going. Wales need to be careful here and not get caught on the break.

34th min: GOAL! A Bale free-kick from distance on the left side takes a deflection off Andriy Yarmolenko, who throws himself at the ball but inadvertently heads it past his goalkeeper. The crowd expected something to happen when Bale stood over that ball and he delivered.

*Only available in UK

31st min: Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko gets a yellow card for an elbow on James.

30th min: Hennessey is having a busy game and looks much more alert than Wales' backline at present. A quick one-two in the box sees Tsygankov race through into the box but the goalkeeper is off his line quickly to block the shot.

28th min: A huge chance for Ukraine as Tsygankov beats the offside trap and is through on goal but when one on one with Hennessey he hits it with his weaker right foot and puts too much curl on it as the ball goes well wide of the far post. The flag goes up for offside but replays showed that looked to be the wrong call. A big let off for Wales.

24th min: Aaron Ramsey delivers an inviting cross into the box from the right but it's just over Bale's head.

23rd min: Viktor Tsyhankov crosses across the box to Vyacheslav Karavaev, who has two attempts at finding the target but fluffs his lines and Hennessey catches the ball with ease.

21st min: Bale has been quiet so far but picks up the ball from 30 yards out in space and decides to let fly... but the ball goes well over and he apologies to his teammates.

19th min: Bushchan fell awkwardly at that clearance and is down receiving treatment on his ankle. He's ok to carry on for now though it seems.

16th min: James tries to find a way down the left but has to settle for a corner. A short one's taken and the cross comes in but Heorhiy Bushchan comes for the ball and flaps at it. In the end it's ruled offside but that was hardly convincing from the goalkeeper.

12th min: Roman Yaremchuk times his run to perfection to beat the offside trap and from the right wing unleashes a hard, low shot which Hennessey does well to get down to deny him.

9th min: At the other end Viktor Tsyhankov creates some space and shoots from the edge of the box. Hennessey tips the ball beyond the post even though it looked to be going wide anyway. The resulting corner is cleared.

7th min: Great work from Neco Williams on the left wing sees him take down a long pass from Gareth Bale, beat his man, but then drags his shot wide of the near post from distance.

3rd min: Oleksandr Zinchenko takes a quick free-kick from 30 yards out that catches Wayne Hennessy off guard and it goes in! But the referee rules it out because that free-kick was taken too quickly. The follow up is saved by the Burnley stopper.

2nd min: Some early bookings already as Joe Allen gets a yellow for a late tackle. Dan James can't believe his teammate's been booked and in voicing his frustrations to the referee he also gets carded.

We're underway!

3mins from KO: Both teams are out and the national anthems are being played. A few nervous faces in the lineups that's for sure...

15mins to KO: Both sets of players have just about finished their warm ups and are about to head back into the changing rooms for their final preparations. No doubt that there'll be some nerves building in both dressing rooms ahead of kick-off!

30mins from KO: For the visitors, three straight away competitive victories will have Ukraine full of hope as they take to the field tonight in south Wales. All three of those away matches have seen them net two or more goals, including their fantastic 3-1 victory at Hampden Park against Scotland last midweek. 

After netting the opener in that game, forward Andriy Yarmolenko made it 45 goals for Ukraine across 107 internationals. That total means that he now sits just three goals behind Andriy Shevchenko's record tally of 48 strikes for Ukraine. 

45mins from KO: With a first World Cup appearance since Sweden hosted the showpiece event in 1958 on the line tonight, Wales will likely need their fans to be in full voice at the Cardiff City Stadium to push them past plucky Ukraine.

However, the home fans won't be so keen to hear that in three previous international meetings with their opponents, Wales have failed to win on each occasion. The only previous meeting on Welsh soil saw the game end 1-1 during the 2000/01 World Cup qualification cycle thanks to goals either side of half-time from John Hartson and Andriy Shevchenko.  

1hr from KO: Big stories from both sides' team selections for this crunch clash. Quartet Gareth Bale, Joe Allen, Ben Davies, and Aaron Ramsey all return for Wales, whereas the visitors name an unchanged lineup from their midweek win over Scotland.

1hrs 10 mins from KO: Ukraine names their starting line-up as they bid to reach the World Cup in Cardiff this evening.

1 hrs 25 mins from KO: We have team news! Wales name their starting eleven for the World Cup play-off final this evening. Gareth Bale captains the side, whilst Aaron Ramsey takes up his place in midfield.

1hrs 35 min from KO: The whole country of Ukraine and its diaspora will be behind them tonight, as Oleksandr Petrakov demonstrates in his pre-match press conference. Should Ukraine qualify for the World Cup, it would be the first time they have featured in the finals since 2006. 

1hrs 45 min from KO: The Wales players have arrived in Cardiff ahead of one of the most important matches in their footballing history as a nation.

1hrs 45 min from KO: As always, Gareth Bale is expected to be a key man for Wales today should he get the nod to start. Can the 32-year-old add to his 38 goals in 102 games this evening?

2hrs from KO: Welcome to The Sporting News' live blog coverage of the FIFA World Cup play-off final between Wales and Ukraine, team news will be with you at the top of the hour!

Wales vs. Ukraine lineups

Wales starting lineup (3-5-2): Hennessey (GK) — Rodon, Ampadu, Davies — Roberts, Ramsey, Allen, N Williams, James — Bale, Moore.

Ukraine starting lineup (4-1-4-1):  Bushchan (GK) — Karavaev, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko — Malinovskyi — Stepanenko, Zinchenko, Yarmolenko, Tsygankov — Yaremchuk.

MORE: UEFA Nations League TV channel and live stream in USA

How to watch Wales vs. Ukraine

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date June 05 June 05 June 05 June 06
Time 17:00 12:00 ET 12:00 ET 03:00 AET
TV channel Sky Sports Main Event/ITV ESPN 2 TLN Optus Sport
Streaming NOW TV/ITV Player ESPN+ TLN, UEFA.tv Optus Sport

In the US, televised World Cup matches are also available on fuboTV, which also offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Author(s)
Sean Markus Clifford
Author Photo
Dan Gibbs
Dan is a sub-editor for The Sporting News' UK edition.
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