November 20 – Wales have reached their second straight European Championship finals thanks to a 2-0 home win over Hungary in their winner-takes-all Group E qualifier on Tuesday.
The Welsh, who reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals, finished runners-up on 14 points from eight games, three behind Croatia who sealed their berth on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Slovakia.
Having previously gone 58 years without reaching a major tournament after the 1958 World Cup, there were joyous scenes as Wales produced a dominant display to wrap up qualification. The outcome was a personal triumph for manager Ryan Giggs, who as one of Manchester United’s star players never competed at a World Cup or European Championship.
Giggs, who won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies with United, said: “It doesn’t get any better, it’s amazing. One of the best days of my life.”
With the group stage now at an end, the Hungarians will have another chance to reach next year’s 24-nation tournament via the playoffs as will Slovakia.
Those now qualified for the 12-city, pan-European finals are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales.
The following make the playoffs: Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia.
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