Wales' route to Qatar 2022: How the Dragons secured their FIFA World Cup return after 64 years
- Planet Sport writer
- 8 November 2022
Wales reached their second World Cup - and first for 64 years - by finishing second in a qualifying group behind Belgium.
Robert Page's side won four, drew three and lost one of their eight qualifiers to reach the play-offs, before beating Austria and Ukraine at home to qualify for Qatar 2022.
We take a closer look at their journey through the qualifiers.
Belgium 3 Wales 1 (March 24, 2021)
Wales' campaign got off to the worst possible start in Leuven after Harry Wilson put them ahead with a fantastic team goal.
Kevin De Bruyne, Thorgan Hazard and Romelu Lukaku cut the visitors' celebrations short.
Wales 1 Czech Republic 0 (March 30, 2021)
Daniel James' late header gave Wales victory in a fiery Cardiff qualifier played behind closed doors due to Covid-19.
Both sides were reduced to 10 men with Wales defender Connor Roberts and Czech striker Patrik Schick sent off.
Belarus 2 Wales 3 (September 5, 2021)
Gareth Bale's second international hat-trick spared Wales embarrassment in a tie played on neutral Russian soil in Kazan.
Bale scored two penalties and a stoppage-time winner as Wales fought back from 2-1 down.
Wales 0 Estonia 0 (September 8, 2021)
Wales were frustrated as Cardiff City Stadium hosted an international match without crowd restrictions for the first time since 2019.
Bale hit a post as stubborn Estonia, ranked 110th in the world, clung on for a point.
Czech Republic 2 Wales 2 (October 8, 2021)
Stand-in skipper Aaron Ramsey put Wales ahead early in a Prague thriller. Wales fell 2-1 behind after goalkeeper Danny Ward's own goal howler but James equalised with an assured 69th-minute finish.
Estonia 0 Wales 1 (October 11, 2021)
Wales' victory was as scruffy as Kieffer Moore's early winner, prodded home from a yard following a goalmouth scramble.
Ward made good saves late on to atone for his Prague gaffe.
Wales 5 Belarus 1 (November 13, 2021)
Bale won his 100th cap after two months out injured, but left the action at half-time.
Wales led 2-0 by then and goals from Ramsey (2), Neco Williams, Ben Davies and Roberts secured a thumping win.
Wales 1 Belgium 1 (November 16, 2021)
Tenacious Wales secured a home World Cup play-off semi-final by holding the number one team on the FIFA rankings list.
De Bruyne's superb 12th-minute strike was cancelled out by Moore before half-time.
Wales 2 Austria 1 (March 24, 2022)
Bale scored two brilliant goals to take Wales through to a play-off final, striking a majestic first-half free-kick before shooting superbly on the turn after the break.
Marcel Sabitzer scrambled Welsh nerves with a deflected effort.
Wales 1 Ukraine 0 (June 5, 2022)
The play-off final had been delayed for over two months because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
On a night of high emotion, Bale's deflected free-kick and Wayne Hennessey's goalkeeping heroics took Wales through to their first World Cup since 1958.
