Wales vs Poland LIVE: Latest score and goal updates from Euro ...
Wales and Poland face off in a crucial encounter this evening which will determine which of the two nations plays a part in Euro 2024 this year.
The teams are one game away from a place at the tournament and meet in a qualifying play-off final at Cardiff City Stadium where Wales should be the favourites to triumph. They have home advantage and although lacking the star power of a Robert Lewandowski, who is sure to line-up for Poland, they should have enough ability to reach a third successive European Championship in front of the Red Wall.
Both sides cruised through their play-off semi-finals with Wales beating Finland 4-1 and Poland demolishing Estonia 5-1. Yet, Poland are no pushovers though they are vulnerable. The visitors tend not to travel well but have good memories of facing Wales with their 1-0 win at this stadium in September 2022 one of only two victories away from home since October 2020.
The winner of the tie in Cardiff will advance to this summer’s tournament and join the Netherlands, Austria and France in Group D.
Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and tips for the match right here:
Wales vs Poland LIVEWales host Poland in a Euro 2024 play-off final, live on Viaplay Sports 2
Winner will secure a spot at this summer’s tournament in Germany
How to watch Wales vs Poland on TV tonight
49’ CLOSE! - Moore’s header is pushed wide by Szczesny (WAL 0-0 POL)
45’ DISALLOWED! - Davies’ headed goal is ruled out for offside (WAL 0-0 POL)
18’ CHANCE! - Davies heads a corner over the crossbar (WAL 0-0 POL)
Wales 0 - 0 Poland
Wales 0-0 Poland21:27 , Mike Jones
84 mins: Good work from from Dan James in midfield sees him work the ball up to Harry Wilson. He combines with Neco Williams before dancing into the box and losing possession.
For half a moment the space opened up for a shot but Wilson decided not to take it and the attack is repelled.
Connor Roberts looks to have picked up an injury and is replaced with David Brooks for Wales. Will this change things for Rob Pages men?
Wales 0-0 Poland21:23 , Mike Jones
81 mins: Inside the last 10 minutes of the 90 now and still nothing to separate the two teams. Things are getting tense and any goal now would surely be enough to send someone to Euro 2024.
Will win see a winner?
Karol Swiderski and Jan Bednarek are replaced with Bartosz Salamon and Krzysztof Piatek.
Wales 0-0 Poland21:21 , Mike Jones
78 mins: Free kick to Wales after Wilson falls over from a slight touch to the foot. Neco Williams sends the ball into the box from the inside right and finds Chris Mepham.
He nods the ball into the air but Szczesny plucks the ball out of the air.
Wales 0-0 Poland21:18 , Mike Jones
75 mins: Ukraine do have their equaliser against Iceland now and that match looks to be heading to extra time in a similar manner as this one in Cardiff.
It’s getting a bit scrappy with Lewandowski going to ground and buying a free kick just inside his own half.
Wales 0-0 Poland21:14 , Mike Jones
72 mins: Brennan Johnson is taken off by Rob Page with Daniel James the man to replace him for the last 20 minutes or so. James scored against Finland, can he do so again tonight?
His first involvement is to dance around Slisz who falls to the ground and wants a free kick inside his own box.
Wales 0-0 Poland21:11 , Mike Jones
69 mins: Wales are almost caught after a making a few mistakes at the back under constant Polish pressure. Chris Mepham gives the ball away but Ben Davies is on hand to win it back and clear the lines.
The hosts can’t get possession and are being pinned inside their own half.
Wales 0-0 Poland21:08 , Mike Jones
66 mins: Ben Davies wins the ball in a fantastic tackle to dispossess Robert Lewandowski. The Wales captain has been a firecracker in defence tonight and will need to stay switched on for the rest of this match.
His efforts encourage the crowd to start cheering once again. So far the nerves aren’t getting to them.
Wales 0-0 Poland21:05 , Mike Jones
63 mins: A tackle from Williams on Zielinski brings Poland a free kick. He does well to avoid a yellow card after clipping the midfielder on the ankle.
A short pass is played into the right side of the box from the set piece but Wales play the offside trap and are awarded the decision as the Polish forwards are sent into the area.
Wales 0-0 Poland21:03 , Mike Jones
60 mins: An hour played in Cardiff and still no breakthrough. There are a touch over 31,000 fans inside the stadium to see how this fateful match will play out.
Poland win themselves a corner that curls over to Lewandowski. He gets a head to the ball but can’t control it under pressure and the effort loops high over the crossbar.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:59 , Mike Jones
57 mins: Yellow card for Jordan James after he arrives late and clatters Bartosz Slisz to the deck. It’s not a good tackle and James took no prisoners in cleaning out the Polish midfielder.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:57 , Mike Jones
54 mins: Poland are happy to slow down the match and take the sting out of Wales’ play. The visitors haven’t really got themselves into the second half as of yet.
A potential counter attack for Poland develops with the ball getting nudged up to Robert Lewandowski. Joe Rodon gets across and strongly forces the striker off the ball.
Good defending.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:54 , Mike Jones
51 mins: Moore is brought down again, this time by Jakub Piotrowski in the middle of the pitch. The Polish midfielder is shown a yellow card too.
Wales are growing in confidence.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:53 , Mike Jones
49 mins: Close!
Neco Williams floats the free kick into the box and finds Kieffer Moore. He peels off his marker and wins the header before targeting the top corner.
Szczesny leaps to the left and flaps the ball away with a right hand as the ball looked to be sneaking in. The crowd got excited about that one.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:52 , Mike Jones
48 mins: Poland have not lost to Wales in 51 years but they look the second best side over those first 45 minutes. Rob Page hasn’t made any changes to the Welsh team during the break.
Moore wins another free kick after Dawidowicz bungles him to ground. Good chance for Wales this...
Second half! Wales 0-0 Poland20:48 , Mike Jones
The players are back out for the second half.
There’s 45 minutes left in this match before extra time and possibly penalties. Both teams will be hoping to end this match well before then and the opening goal could prove to be crucial.
Wales kick the next part of this tense encounter.
HT Wales 0-0 Poland20:46 , Mike Jones
At the end of the first half, Poland had created four chances to score which was slightly more than Wales’ three. The better opportunities came to the hosts though who almost went ahead before Ben Davies’ opener was chalked off.
All to play for in the second half.
HT Wales 0-0 Poland20:42 , Mike Jones
In the other Euro 2024 play off finals played today, Iceland have a 1-0 lead over Ukraine who saw their equaliser ruled out after a VAR check - there are 45 minutes left to play in that match.
Earlier, Georgia reached their first European Championship after a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Greece in the 5pm kick off. Will Wales be joining them in Germany?
HT Wales 0-0 Poland20:38 , Mike Jones
(Action Images via Reuters)
(REUTERS)
(Nick Potts/PA Wire)
Half-time! Wales 0-0 Poland20:34 , Mike Jones
45+1 mins: It’s still all to play for at the break as the teams head into the break all square. VAR confirmed that Ben Davies was just offside in the build up to his disallowed goal.
20:32 , Mike Jones
45 mins: It’s an end-to-end match with neither team managing any good chances on goal. One minute of added time to go.
GOAL!
A short throw in comes to Neco Williams who flicks a cross into the box. Kieffer Moore rises and nods the ball up to Ben Davies who heads it into the back of the net.
The crowd erupt but the offside flag goes up immediately.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:26 , Mike Jones
42 mins: Ukraine have equalised against Iceland in the other play-off final. Wales look more settled and confident now especially when they have the ball at their feet.
There’s a scrappiness to play though when they’re forced to defend as though they’re preoccupied with the ability of Robert Lewandowski and are scrambling to keep him quiet.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:24 , Mike Jones
39 mins: Zalewski flicks a cross into the box from the left after a good run into the box. He finds Robert Lewandowski but the forward nods the ball down for a teammate and Wales boot the ball away.
Kieffer Moore collects it further up the pitch and wins a free kick after a foul from Pawel Dawidowicz.
Harry Wilson delivers a low pass from the set piece and looks for Ben Davies but his pass is too heavy and Szczesny scoops up the ball.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:21 , Mike Jones
36 mins: A lovely long ball comes over the top for Brennan Johnson who brings it down beautifully before slipping a pass to Neco Williams on the overlap.
He squirts a low pass into the box but Harry Wilson can’t get a foot to it and Poland scramble it away.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:19 , Mike Jones
33 mins: There’s a rendition of Yma o Hyd from the Welsh supporters which never fails to get the spine tingling and the goosebumps out.
Will the Wales players respond with renewed effort?
In the other Euro play-off final taking place right now, Iceland have taken the lead over Ukraine.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:15 , Mike Jones
30 mins: Kieffer Moore has been a big threat for Wales over the first half and hour or so and takes a kick to the back of the leg after a forceful clearance from Frankowski.
Poland’s attack down the right wing means Ben Davies have some work to do and expertly blocks the cross from coming into the box.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:13 , Mike Jones
27 mins: Zalewski isn’t happy as he dances inside from the leg wing and gets brought down outside the penalty area. Jordan James breaks up the pitch for Wales but runs out of space.
Wales switch sides and try to get into the final third through Neco Williams but he’s forced to retreat too. The hosts remain patient and keep control of the ball.
Harry Wilson tricks his way into the box and cuts the ball back but he can’t find a red shirt and Poland manage to clear their lines.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:09 , Mike Jones
24 mins: Wales do look dangerous from the set pieces. That could be their way to succeed in this match. Both Moore and Davies have bee strong in the air.
Rob Page would love his team to get on the ball and control the midfield though.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:06 , Mike Jones
21 mins: The opportunity from the corner will give Wales some confidence. Neco Williams and Brennan Johnson look sharp up the top of the pitch when they get the chances to run at the Polish back line.
Johnson forces a corner from Pawel Dawidowicz. Williams whips in the corner this time and finds Kieffer Moore who nods the ball well across goal.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:03 , Mike Jones
18 mins: Poland are starting to settle into this match. They’re getting more crosses and passes into dangerous positions but so far Wales are handling the danger well.
Connor Roberts clears the ball into the stands.
Poland win the first corner of the match and Swiderski swings in the set piece. The home side clear the danger and look to break through Ethan Ampadu.
His poor ball eventually comes to Brennan Johnson who releases Ampadu for a pass out to Neco Williams. The attack results in a corner for Wales but Ben Davies or Kieffer Moore heads the effort over the target.
Wales 0-0 Poland20:00 , Mike Jones
15 mins: The ball bounces about in midfield with Ethan Ampadu doing brilliantly to recover possession and feed it into Brennan Johnson.
He threads a pass over to Neco Williams who runs into trouble and gets tackled by Przemyslaw Frankowski.
At the other end of the pitch, Frankowski whips in a cross as Karol Swiderski darts in between the centre-backs. He sticks out a leg to try and turn the ball into the net but it bounces just past his foot and Danny Ward watches it go wide of the far post.
Wales 0-0 Poland19:57 , Mike Jones
12 mins: Neither side has managed to get properly get control of the ball so far with Poland stuck inside their own half after some strong pressing from the Welsh forward line.
A long throw from Connor Roberts is flicked on by Kieffer Moore but there aren’t any of his teammates in the vicinity to collect the loose ball.
Wales 0-0 Poland19:53 , Mike Jones
9 mins: Neco Williams darts inside from the left and delivers a fine cross into the box aiming for Kieffer Moore. Jan Bednarek leaps in front of the forward and nods the ball away.
It comes up to Robert Lewandowski who goes down on the halfway line looking for a free kick. The referee lets play go on as Wales collect the ball.
The home fans give Lewandowski a chorus of boos for his theatrics.
Wales 0-0 Poland19:51 , Mike Jones
6 mins: Harry Wilson and Nicola Zalewski both challenge for the ball with the Welsh midfielder sticking out a leg and awkwardly getting tangled up with his opponent.
He lands weirdly but is okay to continue. Wales have started okay, they haven’t seen as much of the ball as they’d like but Poland aren’t making much headway up the pitch.
Wales 0-0 Poland19:48 , Mike Jones
3 mins: In the last couple of matches Wales have scored inside the opening seven minutes but things already seem different tonight.
Jordan James plays a fine pass forward but the ball runs through safely to Wojciech Szczesny. Poland then come down the left side and lose possession.
A quick pass up to Kieffer Moore sees the Welsh striker penalised for an elbow to the face.
Kick off! Wales 0-0 Poland19:46 , Mike Jones
The visitors, dressed in all white tonight, get the ball rolling at the Cardiff City Stadium. It’s booted up the pitch and gets claimed easily by Danny Ward in the Welsh goal.
We’re underway.
Wales vs Poland19:43 , Mike Jones
Here come the teams. The players head out onto the pitch and line up for the national anthems. This should be a stormer of a match and it’s expected to be a close one.
Wales don’t have a good record against Poland but, on the most crucial of nights, can they get past the Poles and scure a spot at Euro 2024?
Kick off is up next...
Wales vs Poland19:41 , Mike Jones
Robert Lewandowski has been directly involved in 24 goals in his past 27 appearances for Poland (16 goals, eight assists), although he has not scored in any of his three games against Wales to date.
Wales vs Poland19:37 , Mike Jones
Harry Wilson has been directly involved in six goals in nine appearances in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign (three goals, three assists), the most of any player for Wales.
The Fulham midfielder has assisted a goal in each of his past two outings, while his 16 chances created are also the most of any player for the Dragons in this qualifying campaign.
Wales ready for crunch Euro 2024 play-off without talismanic figure Gareth Bale19:33 , Mike Jones
Rob Page believes Wales have come “a long way” since the retirement of Gareth Bale to be within one win of reaching Euro 2024.
Wales host Poland in a play-off final at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, with a place in Germany this summer at stake.
Victory would see Wales play at a third successive European Championship and a fourth major tournament out of five after qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
But this time Wales would achieve qualification without talismanic former captain Bale, their record caps holder and goalscorer who retired a few months before the start of Euro 2024 qualifying in January 2023.
Wales ready for crunch Euro 2024 play-off without talismanic figure Gareth Bale
Wales vs Poland19:28 , Mike Jones
Since the start of 2023, Poland have lost three of their four Euro qualifier matches played away from home, losing to the Czech Republic, Moldova and Albania in that time.
They did win their most recent one, however, away to the Faroe Islands back in October (2-0).
Wales vs Poland19:23 , Mike Jones
Wales are looking to qualify for a third consecutive European Championships, having previously appeared in the 2016 and 2020 editions.
In Euro qualifiers played at Cardiff City Stadium, Wales have only lost one of their last 15 (10 wins, four draws).
How to watch Wales vs Poland19:22 , Mike Jones
Wales vs Poland is due to kick off at 7.45pm GMT on Tuesday 26 March at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Viaplay Sports 2, with coverage from 7.35pm GMT, or via Welsh-language channel S4C from 7.20pm. A livestream will be available on the Viaplay Sports website and on the BBC iPlayer.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Wales vs Poland19:18 , Mike Jones
Following their 4-1 victory over Finland, Wales stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches (four wins, three draws).
Only once have they recorded a longer streak without defeat under Robert Page (nine games between September 2021 and March 2022 - four wins, five draws).
If Wales give Robert Lewandowski a sniff at goal he will take it, warns Harry Wilson19:13 , Mike Jones
Harry Wilson admits Robert Lewandowski’s hunger for goals represents the biggest threat to Wales reaching Euro 2024.
Wales host Poland in a Euro 2024 play-off final at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday with a place in Germany this summer at stake.
Only one place separates the two nations in the FIFA world rankings – Wales are 29th, Poland 30th – but the visitors possess one of football’s greatest-ever goalscorers in their ranks.
Lewandowski has scored 82 goals for Poland and the 35-year-old Barcelona striker is the fourth overall men’s international goalscorer in Europe behind Romelu Lukaku (83), Ferenc Puskas (84) and Cristiano Ronaldo (128).
If Wales give Robert Lewandowski a sniff at goal he will take it – Harry Wilson
Wales vs Poland19:08 , Mike Jones
Poland have won each of their past three away games against Wales, all of which have been in competitive action (2-1 in 2001, 3-2 in 2004 and 1-0 in 2022).
Indeed, the only other European sides they’ve had a longer winning streak away from home against are San Marino (five) and Finland (two runs of four).
Wales vs Poland19:03 , Mike Jones
Wales have lost each of their last six games against Poland (all played between 2001 and 2022); the only other non-British nation they’ve had a longer losing run against is the Netherlands, with 10 straight defeats between 1988 and 2022.
Wales vs Poland18:58 , Mike Jones
Wales and Poland have faced each other on 10 previous occasions. Wales’ only victory came in their first meeting back in March 1973, losing seven and drawing two of their nine subsequent meetings.
The two factors Wales must exploit to beat Poland and reach Euro 202418:53 , Mike Jones
The long, convoluted and confusing route to Euro 2024 comes to a head on Tuesday night, with three play-off places to be settled and Wales hoping they can claim one of them, facing Poland at Cardiff City Stadium and riding high on the confidence generated by their 4-1 thrashing of Finland last week in the semis. A similar type of showing this time around can seal a third European Championship appearance in a row and a fourth tournament in eight years for the Dragons.
Yet, it must be acknowledged that the task remains large; even a near-perfect performance might yield two chances falling Poland’s way. If they happen to be at the boots of Robert Lewandowski, even with his powers on the wane he can ensure the rest of the match is rendered irrelevant.
But for all that they must beware the Barcelona forward and his teammates, Wales will have confidence in their own game, their own approach to chasing victory – and there are two particularly good reasons for doing so.
The two decisive factors Wales must exploit to beat Poland and reach Euro 2024
Wales team changes18:48 , Mike Jones
Rob Page makes on change to the Welsh starting XI that faced Finland in their play-off semi-final last time out.
Striker Kieffer Moore comes in for David Brooks, who drops to the bench. Ben Davies captains the side once again with regular skipper Aaron Ramsey named among the substitutes.
Poland line-up to face Wales18:44 , Mike Jones
Poland name an unchanged team from the one that demolished Estonia 5-1 in Thursday’s other play-off semi-final. Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash misses out after picking up an injury against Estonia.
Poland XI: Szczesny; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Frankowski, Zielinski, Slisz, Piotrowski, Zalewski; Swiderski, Lewandowski.
Subs: Bulka, Skorupski, Puchacz, Walukiewicz, Salamon, Bochniewicz, Piatek, Moder, Romanczuk, Szymanski, Grosicki, Buksa.
Wales line-up to take on Poland18:42 , Mike Jones
Wales XI: Ward; Mepham, Rodon, B. Davies; Roberts, Ampadu, J. James, Williams; Wilson, Johnson, Moore.
Subs: Hennessey, King, Fox, Dasilva, Sheehan, Savage, Ramsey, D. James, Matondo, Brooks, Broadhead, Cullen.
Davies talks Wales’ football future18:40 , Mike Jones
Davies added: “Welsh football was in a pretty sticky place before Euro 2016.
“We felt that would be our best chance to qualify and it was important to break down that barrier to show it is possible.
“To show that qualification is there in your hands, and we’ve had players stepping up in big moments over and over. To do it four times is something that I never imagined happening.”
Ben Davies on life after Gareth Bale18:35 , Mike Jones
Tottenham defender and Wales’ captain this evening Ben Davies said: “It’s been a bit of transition having lost Gareth [Bale], who brought so much to this squad.
“If we could get there this time it’s a real team effort and we’d be really proud. Most of us played in the game where we got the experience of beating Ukraine in the last play-off.
“It was high stress, the game with the biggest stakes on it, and everyone handled themselves well. That’s one thing we pride ourselves on. We’ve got discipline, energy and passion, but overall we’re a proper team.”
Ben Davies confident Wales won’t pay the penalty in play-off against Poland18:30 , Mike Jones
Ben Davies is confident Wales will prevail should they face a first-ever penalty shoot-out in their Euro 2024 play-off final against Poland.
Wales have never felt the tension of spot-kicks to settle matters at full-time, but that would be the deciding factor should Tuesday’s tie in Cardiff finish level after 120 minutes.
Poland have been involved in two shoot-outs, both at Euro 2016 – overcoming Switzerland in the round of 16 before losing to Portugal at the quarter-final stage.
Ben Davies confident Wales won’t pay the penalty in play-off against Poland
Page on Wales’ home record18:25 , Mike Jones
"It’s an incredible record and our supporters are massive," said Rob Page about how strong Wales’ home form has been through qualifying.
"They took the roof off with the anthem the other day. Bring it on again Tuesday. Let’s use that to our benefit to get across the line."
(Nick Potts/PA Wire)
Fortress Cardiff18:20 , Mike Jones
Wales have only lost one of their last 15 European Championship qualifiers at the Cardiff City Stadium and are a difficult prospect to deal with at their home ground.
Will they be able to keep Poland at bay tonight or can their rivals inflict another defeat on the Dragons?
What team selections do the managers face?18:15 , Mike Jones
Rob Page’s toughest selection dilemma for this evening will be in attack. Against Finland he sprung a surprise by starting Southampton’s David Brooks and leaving in-form Ipswich Town striker Kieffer Moore on the bench.
Brookd scored in the third minute as vindication for the decision.
Dan James made a big impact as a substitute and is pushing hard for a recall while Harry Wilson and Brennan Johnson impressed from the start.
Robert Lewandowski will captain Poland, who could be without Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash, as he went off injured during Thursday’s semi-final win over Estonia.
How did Poland end up in the play-offs?18:10 , Mike Jones
Like Wales, Poland had an indifferent qualifying campaign which saw them miss out on an automatic spot at Euro 2024. They also had the back-up route of the play-offs thanks to their Nations League performance in recent years.
The Poles suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in their history when they lost in Moldova, and a further loss to Albania led to manager Fernando Santos’ sacking during qualifying.
A third place finish in their group saw them drop into the next stage of qualifying and they will be hoping to sweep Wales aside in order to regain some of the form that saw them reach the last-16 of the 2022 World Cup.
Gareth Southgate sends heartfelt message to Princess of Wales following cancer diagnosis18:05 , Mike Jones
Gareth Southgate has led a message of support to the Princess of Wales, following news she had been diagnosed with cancer.
The England manager was speaking ahead of his team’s friendly against Brazil, when he sent his “best wishes”.
“Remarkably dignified statement that she gave and we obviously have a very close relationship with the family, so very upset to hear the news but hope everything goes well”, he told reporters.
Davies on Brennan Johnson18:00 , Mike Jones
Ben Davies’ Tottenham team-mate Brennan Johnson scored three goals in his last seven Spurs appearances and netted in the semi-final play-off against Finland.
“He is playing at a big club in big games,” said Davies about Johnson. “He is pulling out results, scoring goals and getting assists.
“He offers a lot of pace, he is very direct and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He has taken it in his stride, and we will see a better and better player coming.
“If he can bring that quality into a Welsh shirt for us we will be very happy.”
Davies claims reaching Euro 2024 would be 'better’ than previous campaigns17:55 , Mike Jones
Ben Davies believes Wales reaching Euro 2024 would be “better in some ways” than previous successful qualifying campaigns. The defender is among a handful of survivors from the Chris Coleman squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 in France and was also part of Wales teams that qualified for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.
“It would be just as good as (reaching) the others, better in some ways,” said Davies ahead of Thursday’s play-off semi-final victory over Finland.
“It’s different times. We don’t have Gareth Bale this time. That’s a big loss for Wales, our greatest ever player but that doesn’t mean there’s a different feeling within the camp. We are more than confident with the squad we’ve got.
“We are all here to play for Wales and to do a job for our country and qualify for major tournaments. Boys have been there before and boys who have been there at the top of their game. It’s still as motivating now as it was.
“We have been in this situation before, must-win games. We are on the brink.”
Wales vs Poland17:50 , Mike Jones
Wales were absent from major tournaments for 58 years following the 1958 World Cup but, since ending that drought with a mesmerising run to the semi-finals at Euro 2016, qualification has become the expectation rathe than a dream.
They have featured at Euro 2020 and the World Cup in 2022 while a win over Poland would secure them a spot in a third consecutive major tournament.
Roberts on playing for Wales17:45 , Mike Jones
Conner Roberts spoke about how it feels to represent Wales on the international stage and how he hopes tonight’s crunch match against Poland will go.
He said: “Whenever I play for Wales, I never really feel tired.
“I always really just want to run more, want to do more for the team, do more for my country, for myself and make people proud.
“I’m sure that goes for every single player who gets to play for Wales. We’re not the biggest footballing nation, we’re not the best players in the world.
“But we all want to be here, we all want to do well and I think that that has shown in recent games. Hopefully, it shows again on Tuesday night.”
Connor Roberts hopes ‘power of the tash’ helps fire Wales to Euro 202417:34 , Mike Jones
Connor Roberts hopes the “power of the tash” can help Wales to Euro 2024 play-off glory against Poland.
Roberts has embarked on long unbeaten Championship runs at Burnley and Leeds over the last two seasons after putting his razor away and growing a moustache.
The 28-year-old wing-back is now determined to avoid a close shave on the international stage and show off his new look in Germany this summer as Wales host Poland on Tuesday for a place at Euro 2024.
Connor Roberts hopes ‘power of the tash’ helps fire Wales to Euro 2024
Wales vs Poland talking points17:22 , Mike Jones
Rewriting history
Wales must rewrite history to reach Euro 2024 because their record against Poland is abysmal. Played 10, lost seven, drawn two and only one win.
That 2-0 victory came in their maiden clash in March 1973 when Leighton James and Trevor Hockey scored in a World Cup qualifier.
It has been downhill for Wales ever since with Poland winning the last six, including a Nations League double header in 2022. Poland produced a late sucker punch to win 2-1 in Wroclaw and Karol Swiderski settled a tight Cardiff contest three months later.
Wales vs Poland talking points17:11 , Mike Jones
Red-hot Robert
With Gareth Bale enjoying retirement on the golf course, Poland can lay claim to having the play-off final’s one superstar – Robert Lewandowski.
The Barcelona striker may be 35 now, but he is still finding the net with incredible regularity. Lewandowski has seven goals in his last nine Barcelona appearances and 23 for club and country this season.
With 82 Poland goals, only Romelu Lukaku (83), Ferenc Puskas (84) and Cristiano Ronaldo (128) have scored more in men’s international football in Europe.
Stopping Lewandowski will be vital for Wales.
Wales vs Poland talking points17:00 , Mike Jones
Ramsey role reduced
Skipper Aaron Ramsey dominated much of the pre-Finland talk as the Cardiff midfielder was the subject of a club versus country row.
The truth, however, was that the 33-year-old was never going to start after an injury-hit season and, in the event, Ramsey did not get on the pitch at all.
He will be on the bench against Poland again and, although he remains a considerable influence in the dressing room, Page is only likely to use him in case of an emergency.
Wales vs Poland talking points16:50 , Mike Jones
On the same Page
Wales boss Rob Page sprang a surprise in his semi-final line-up against Finland, opting to keep Kieffer Moore on the bench and choosing a three-man strikeforce of Brennan Johnson, David Brooks and Harry Wilson.
It was a bold call with targetman Moore in such good form at Ipswich. But Brooks and Johnson scored in an emphatic 4-1 win and Wilson was a constant threat with the Wales attack all on the same page.
Daniel James also scored and impressed coming off the bench, and Page now has another tough selection call to make.
Wales vs Poland talking points16:39 , Mike Jones
Golden era
Qualifying for a third successive European Championship, and a fourth major tournament out of five, would extend Wales’ golden era.
While that record would be expected by many countries, it would represent a huge achievement for a nation with a population of just over three million and one that did not reach a major tournament between 1958 and 2016.
It would also be achieved without their retired former captain Gareth Bale, who did so much in previous qualifying campaigns to get them over the line.
Wales ‘prepared for tough challenge’ of Euro 2024 play-off final against Poland16:28 , Mike Jones
Rob Page insists Wales are “prepared for a tough challenge” as they look to book their place at Euro 2024.
The Dragons host Poland in a play-off final at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday 26 March, with a spot in Germany this summer at stake.
Victory would see the nation play at a third successive European Championship and a fourth major tournament out of five after qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
Wales to get the job done?16:15 , Mike Jones
This summer’s European Championship features an expanded 24-team format with Nations League-assisted play-offs allowing more teams to qualify for the tournament proper.
Should Wales win this evening, it would mean that more teams will have qualified for the competition from their original five-team qualifying group than have failed to.
Getting the job done against Poland and reaching Euro 2024 will complete a remarkable turnaround for Wales who looked to have throw away their chances after consecutive defeats to Armenia and Turkey last summer.
The home loss to Armenia was damaging and raised questions over the effectiveness of manager Rob Page who will not be able to answer them until tonight’s result is known.
Can Wales reach Euro 2024?16:03 , Mike Jones
Wales are currently in their most successful era and are aiming to reach a third successive European Championship.
"It would be a great achievement for us to qualify," said manager Rob Page, "Whenever you go through a campaign, you’re always going to get bumps in the road, especially in transition, and we had one in the summer.
"What pleases me is the reaction we had since then. To go unbeaten in seven and to play in the manner we’ve done. It really, really pleases me.
"I’d be an extremely proud man if we get the job done."
Wales vs Poland prediction15:48 , Mike Jones
Wales should edge out Poland in a tense and thrilling encounter to secure their place at Euro 2024, expect goals, tears and drama from Cardiff tonight.
Wales 2-1 Poland.
Wales vs Poland team news and predicted line-ups15:36 , Mike Jones
Wales are not thought to have any fresh fitness concerns after their convincing win over Finland, and could well stick with a similar side. Aaron Ramsey is unlikely to be promoted to the starting side after a recent return from injury.
Conversely, Poland saw both Przemyslaw Frankowski and Matty Cash go off with injuries during their victory against Estonia. Cash has been ruled out of the play-off final and Bartosz Bereszynski may be forced to deputise on the right flank.
Predicted line-ups
Wales XI: Ward; Davies, Mepham, Rodon; Roberts, Ampadu, J. James, Williams; Brooks, Wilson; Johnson.
Poland XI: Szczesny; Kiwior, Bednarek, Dawidowicz; Bereszynski, Zielinski, Slisz, Piotrowski, Zalewski; Swiderski, Lewandowski.
How to watch Wales vs Poland15:24 , Mike Jones
Wales vs Poland is due to kick off at 7.45pm GMT on Tuesday 26 March at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Viaplay Sports 2, with coverage from 7.35pm GMT, or via Welsh-language channel S4C from 7.20pm. A livestream will be available on the Viaplay Sports website and on the BBC iPlayer.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Good evening!14:48 , Mike Jones
Welcome one and all to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Euro 2024 qualifier final as Wales look to take the last step on thei journey to this summer’s European Championship tournament.
Having come through the semi-finals with a convincing 4-1 victory over Finland, Rob Page’s men now face the difficult task of defeating Poland in this play-off final.
They are boosted by having home advantage and the Red Wall of Welsh fans will bring an electric atmosphere to the Cardiff City Stadium which should spur on the home side.
This is an all or nothing encounter. Win and there is a place at the Euros waiting, lose and Wales will be out of the tournament before it even begins.
There’s pressure on manager Rob Page who’s team are expected to triumph this evening. Anything less and the boss will potentially lose his job. Can Wales perform in this crucial match with the spotlight on them and reach Euro 2024?
We’ll have all the updates, team news and line-ups throughout the evening so stick around as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.
