WALES AND THE WORLD CUP.

Yes, it is The FIFA World Cup coming soon, as if you didn't know. The championship has been contested every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to the Second World War.  

The Wales National Football team has entered every World Cup since 1950**, but to date has only qualified for two finals tournaments, in 1958 and 2022. In 1958, they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by eventual winners Brazil. They joined Czechoslovakia and East Germany in their Europe qualifying Group Four, winning twice and losing twice; better than East Germany. The Czechs won the group.

Wales, to qualify for the knock out phase, had to beat Israel, winners of the Asia-Africa group. Countries from Asia-Africa did not merit higher status and had to go through more phases tp progress. Sudan had qualified out of their group of  only TWO countries, when Turkey withdrew. One way and another, Israel became winners of the group, having not played a match! FIFA spotted that error and made them play a special play-off tie v Wales. So on January 15th 1958, in Tel Aviv, Wales won 0-2 and they matched that score on February 5th on the return fixture, thus qualifying. JOY! On to Sweden for the finals.

Wales played in Pool Three and met Hungary in Sandviken drawing 1-1; they then met Mexico in Solna, drawing 1-1, and then drew 0-0 with Sweden, again in Solna in front of nearly 30,000. Hungary and Wales had three points each and Hungary had 6 goals for and 3 against; Wales 2 and 2! This meant for nothing, so they had equal points and the organisers arranged a play off in Dolna, with Wales beating Hungary 2-1. Ivor Allchurch and Terry Medwin (of Spurs) scored. (Attendance? 2,832).

SO, to the Quarter-finals which included; West Germany 1 v 0 Yugoslavia; Sweden 2-0 Soviet Union    France 4-1 Northern Ireland and Brazil v Wales in the Ullevi Stadium Gothenburg. Pele (aged 17) scored, Wales lost. Brazil of course, went on to win the tournament beating Sweden 5-2, France came third beating West Germany 6-3.

** When Wales entered their first World Cup in 1950, they had to play in a British qualifying group with Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, who won the group unbeaten, in three (yes only 3) games, scoring 14 against 3 goals. Scotland qualified in second place.