Ukraine misses out on World Cup after losing 1-0 to Wales
Ukraine's Oleksandr Zinchenko, left, and Ukraine's Viktor Tsygankov during the World Cup 2022 qualifying play-off soccer match between Wales and Ukraine at Cardiff City Stadium, in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Ukraine missed out on qualifying for the World Cup on Sunday after the war-disrupted team was beaten 1-0 by Wales in the European playoff final for the FIFA soccer showpiece.
Andriy Yarmolenko inadvertently headed the ball into his own net while trying to clear Wales captain Gareth Bale’s first-half free kick.
While Wales heads to a first World Cup in 64 years — opening against the United States in November — this was an agonizing end to Ukraine’s emotionally charged mission to qualify for Qatar while remaining under invasion by Russia.
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Rob Harris, The Associated Press