Doha, November 11 (QNA) – Wales return to the World Cup after a 64-year absence. They are in Group B of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with England, US, and Iran. The teams three matches will take place at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium.
They will first meet the US on Nov. 21, then both Iran on Nov. 25 and Nov. 29 respectively.
Wales is in Group B of the World Cup. They will play three matches at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium. They will first face the US on Nov. 21, followed by Iran and England on Nov. 25 and 29 respectively.
The Football Association of Wales chose Delta Hotels City Center as the teams residence during the competition. They will train at training pitch 2 at Al Sadd Sports Club.
Wales qualified for the World Cup in Qatar, after defeating Ukraine 1-0 in a European qualifiers play-off. Captain and former Real Madrid player Gareth Bales shot deflected off Andriy Yarmolenko and into the net to guide Wales to the World Cup.
The Welsh national team qualified for the World Cup for the second time in their history after a 64-year wait. Their previous participation was in Sweden in 1958. They reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Brazil 0-1.
Wales isnt a favorite to reach the last-16, but their strong results during the qualifiers might give fans a glimmer of hope that their team can spring a surprise at the World Cup in Qatar.
National team coach Rob Page expressed his belief that his team can be a match to any side in the World Cup, stressing that the players share his confidence that they can reach the last-16. He said that Waless matches against Iran and the US are ones the team could win, and that would be enough to reach the last-16. Wales never one a single major international title so far in their history.
Wales however did make a mark in Euro 2016 and 2020. In 2016, Wales topped their group and went all the way to the semi-finals before losing to champions Portugal. In 2020, the team came second in the group and lost 0-4 to Denmark in the last-16
Ian Rush is considered one of the best players in Welsh footballs history. He played with Wales from 1980 to 1996, playing 74 games and scoring 28 goals. His club career saw him play with Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, and Juventus among others.
He scored 254 goals in 602 matches. Manchester Uniteds Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale (who is set to lead the team in the World Cup) are the two other prominent Welsh players. (QNA)