| Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Day-by-day TV listings – Full coverage details |
Wales have arrived in Qatar as they prepare to play at their first World Cup for 64 years.
Robert Page’s 26-man squad and staff flew from Cardiff on Tuesday afternoon and landed in Doha in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Wales begin their campaign against the United States on Monday in Group B, which also includes England and Iran.
“We’re proud and just glad that we’re here now so we can throw our full focus towards that first game,” said Page.
“The players have been brilliant since we met up [on Sunday]. We’ve had a couple of days together now and we’re so pleased to be here.”
Wales were given a warm send-off on Tuesday, first at their hotel in the Vale of Glamorgan where fellow residents the Wales national rugby union team were among the well-wishers, and then at Cardiff City Stadium where thousands watched an open training session.
They then moved to Cardiff Airport, where there were more fans to cheer the players and coaches before they boarded their chartered flight to Doha.
During the World Cup, Wales will be based at the training ground of Qatari club Al-Sadd, whose facilities will also be used by Japan.
Although Wales qualified for the previous two European Championships – reaching the semi-finals in 2016 and the second round last year – this is their first appearance at the World Cup finals since 1958.
Back then, Jimmy Murphy’s side featuring the likes of John Charles and Ivor Allchurch lost to eventual champions Brazil in the quarter-finals, with a 17-year-old Pele scoring the only goal.
This time, Welsh hopes will be carried by some of their Euro 2016 heroes such as Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and captain Gareth Bale.
“It’s something everyone dreams of doing and it will be a special occasion, something the whole nation is proud of,” Bale said before the squad flew to Qatar.
“Everyone has their own opinion of what success is. For some people success would just be qualifying for this tournament.
“For us, we’re going in with the mindset of taking each game as it comes, we’re going to give 110% and whatever comes of that it’s been a successful journey for us.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to qualify out of the group and go as far as we can but we just need to do what we do best and give all our hearts for the shirt.”
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