Wales football team have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 on a night of high emotion and drama in Cardiff.
The Welsh side took on Ukraine, who defeated Scotland four days earlier, in a bid to secure a place at the tournament in Qatar later this year.
The team will now face England in the first round of the 32-team tournament in November.
Gareth Bale labeled it “the greatest result in the history of Welsh football”.
“I’m just delighted we are going to a World Cup. It means everything, it’s what dreams are made of. I’m speechless. I’m so glad we’ve done it for these amazing fans.”
An own goal from Ukraine winger Andriy Yarmolenko, who headed a Gareth Bale free-kick into his own net, decided the match.
It was a cruel way for Ukraine’s qualification effort to end with Olexandr Petrakov’s side, with half the team not having played competitive club football since the Russian invasion in February.
Head coach Rob Page said: “It’s unbelievable. I’m so proud of these boys. They thoroughly deserved that. The one thing they needed was a World Cup and they’ve got it.
“The fans were incredible. They’re the best supporters in world football, I’m telling you. They helped us from the first minute and deserve all the credit.
“I was more excited than nervous before kick-off because I trust these lads. I see them in training and have complete faith in these lads.”
The Welsh side did a lap of honour after claiming the match, before saluting the nearly 2,000 Ukrainian fans inside the stadium.
Of the 1,800-seat allocation for Ukraine, 100 free tickets were given to refugees who have been forced to flee Ukraine since the invasion began in February, which led to Russia being disqualified from World Cup qualifying.
The Russian Football Union protested on Sunday because the jersey being worn by Ukraine’s team in Wales featured Crimea – which Russia annexed in 2014 – as being part of its map.
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