After a glossary of near-misses, Wales qualified for a first World Cup in 64 years after edging out Ukraine in a nervy playoff final. The goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey made a series of improbable of saves, some more mind-bending than others, Ben Davies was heroic in defence and Neco Williams threw his body on the line in five minutes of second-half stoppage time to preserve a narrow and perhaps slightly fortunate victory. Then there is the small matter of Gareth Bale, whose free-kick was diverted in by the Ukraine captain Andriy Yarmolenko.
And just like that, Wales became one of the most unpopular teams on Earth, ending Ukraine’s hopes of reaching the finals in November. Wales, meanwhile, can start preparing to play England, Iran and USA in Qatar.
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