Gareth Bale reveals Wales are “desperate” to qualify for their first World Cup since 1958.
One game stands between them and a return to the world’s biggest competition, with their only appearance coming 62 years ago in Sweden,
where they were beaten by Brazil in the quarter-finals.
✓: Bale’s Real Madrid Emotional Farewell Message
Bale:
“It’s a big game. It’s difficult to put it into whether it’s ‘the’ big game.
Obviously, we played in a semi-final of a European Championship” in 2016.
“It’s a massive game. I think there’s no hiding it. We’ve only played in one World Cup.
“So this is a stepping stone that all of us want to take to play on the biggest level.
And yeah, we have a massive game that we’re desperate to win and to achieve our goal.”
Most neutral viewers will likely be supporting Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion of their country, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”
When asked how it felt to be taking on Ukraine in such circumstances, Bale said the most important thing was that Wales would be “the most popular team in the stadium.”
“Everyone in the world feels for Ukraine,” Bale said.
“It is sport that unites everybody. We understand what it will do for Ukraine, but we want to get to the World Cup.
“That is not coming from a horrible place. It is coming from our country and hearts as we want to deliver for our own fans.”
