Wales at the World Cup
Wales have played in the World Cup twice. They first qualified in 1958, after three drawn matches in their group, they beat Hungary in their group playoff, and came up against Brazil in a quarter final, a game which included a 17-year-old Pelé, who scored the only goal of the game.
Wales again qualified for the 2022 World Cup. Wales' 2022 qualification was one of the greatest result in their history. Wales final qualification match was a 1-0 win over Ukraine in Cardiff, which cruelly denied the war-torn nation a place in Qatar.
Wales played England, USA and Iran in the group stages, their best result a draw with the USA. They finished 30th.
Trivia
- In the 1958 qualifying competition, all Israel's opponents refused to play against them. FIFA then decided that Israel had to play at least two matches in order to qualify for the finals. Wales were chosen among all the second-placed teams to play. Wales beat Israel in two play-off matches, and reached the finals for the first and only time.
Related Pages
- List of all countries who have participated in the World Cup
- FIFA World Cup Home
- Wales at the UEFA Euros
- About Sport in Wales
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