Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
John Jones

When is the Wales v Ukraine World Cup play-off final this weekend?

After weeks of waiting, Wales finally know who stands between them and a first World Cup appearance in 64 years. While they beat Austria 2-1 in March to secure their place in this Sunday's play-off final in Cardiff, Rob Page's side have had to wait for Scotland and Ukraine to play after the fixture was postponed due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

And tonight, the Ukrainians confirmed their place in the final with a 3-1 win at Hampden Park

A place at the finals in Qatar is at stake and this is everything you need to know about Sunday's crucial game.

Read more: Gareth Bale has been quietly donating money to a hospital without anyone knowing

When is Wales v Ukraine?

Wales will play Ukraine at 5pm on Sunday, June 5 at the Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff.

What's at stake?

Whoever wins the play-off final will earn themselves a place at the World Cup in Qatar in November. The winner will join England, Iran and the USA in Group B.

How did Wales and Ukraine reach the play-off final?

Wales qualified for the play-offs courtesy of a second-placed finish behind Belgium in Group E. Their only defeat in the entire campaign came against Roberto Martinez's side in Leuven, having beaten the likes of Belarus, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

Despite being slight underdogs, they booked their place in the final by beating Austria 2-1 in Cardiff. Captain Gareth Bale struck twice in what was a frenetic encounter at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Meanwhile, Ukraine didn't lose a single game during their qualifying group stage, drawing six and beaten Finland and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two of those draws came against current World Cup holders France, with Les Bleus being held 1-1 home and away.

Have Wales or Ukraine ever played in the World Cup?

Wales have entered every World Cup qualifying campaign since 1950, but have only made it through to a finals on one occasion. This came in 1958, when a team containing the likes of Cliff Jones and John Charles battled through to the quarter-finals with three group stage draws and a play-off victory against Hungary. They were eventually knocked out by Brazil in the quarters, with a 17-year-old Pele scoring the only goal of the game.

Ukraine, meanwhile, have only qualified for the World Cup once since breaking away from the Soviet Union. They defied expectations in their one and only appearance in 2006, however, as they reached the quarter-finals only to be beaten 3-0 by eventual champions Italy.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.