Ukraine came from behind to beat Iceland in a play-off to qualify for Euro 2024 on Tuesday, while Poland secured their place in the final with a penalty shootout victory over Wales and Georgia qualified for a first-ever major tournament.
The Ukrainians were aiming to qualify for a first tournament since the Russian invasion of the country two years ago, and they did so by coming from behind to defeat Iceland 2-1 in a match played in the Polish city from Wroclaw.
Albert Gudmundsson silenced the crowd in a city with a large population of Ukrainian refugees by giving Iceland the lead on the half-hour mark.
Iceland, which has a population of less than 400,000, is hoping to return to the final of a competition in which it reached the quarter-finals in 2016.
However, Euro 2020 quarter-finalists Ukraine equalized nine minutes after half-time thanks to a superbly scored goal by Viktor Tsygankov of Spanish club Girona.
Extra time was approaching when Ukraine scored the winner six minutes from time as Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk swept in a first-time shot from just outside the box.
Thanks guys!
Thank you, team!
For strong emotions for the whole country.
For the important victory and participation in EURO.
To prove it once again: whenever Ukrainians face difficulties but do not give up and continue to fight, they certainly win.
At a time when… pic.twitter.com/THdnOw8k0B— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 26, 2024
“Thank you guys! Thank you, team! For strong emotions for the whole country. For the important victory and participation in the EURO. “For proving once again that every time the Ukrainians encounter difficulties but do not give up and continue to fight, they are definitely winning,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X.
After narrowly missing out on Italy in their qualifying group and being forced into the play-offs, Ukraine can now look forward to the European Championship which begins in Germany on June 14.
They will enter Group E alongside Belgium, Slovakia and Romania and will aim to qualify for the round of 16.
Agony for Wales and Greece
Poland enter a tough Group D at the Euros with France, Netherlands and Austria after getting the better of Wales in a tense shootout at the end of their play-off final in Cardiff .
The match finished 0–0 after 90 minutes and there were no goals in extra time either, which ended with Chris Mepham being sent off by Wales for a second booking.
A high-quality shootout, which began with Robert Lewandowski’s first-time kick converting, resulted in nine successful penalties before Daniel James saw his effort saved and Wales lost 5-4.
There will not be a third consecutive European Championship for the Welsh team, semi-finalist in 2016, but Poland will be present at a fifth consecutive continental final.
“It’s a cruel match, that’s what I told the players, at the start of the qualifier. It hurts,” Wales manager Rob Page told S4C.
Earlier, Georgia made history by winning a major international tournament for the first time since the Caucasus country of 3.7 million people gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
They beat Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw at the end of extra time in Tbilisi, sparking a pitch invasion by delighted fans at the Boris Paichadze Stadium.
Nika Kvekveskiri scored the decisive penalty for Georgia after Tasos Bakasetas and Giorgos Giakoumakis failed to score from the spot for Greece.
Surprise, European champion in 2004, Greece’s defeat means for them the expectation of qualification for a first major tournament since the 2014 World Cup.
Ranked 77th in the world, a Georgia team coached by former French full-back Willy Sagnol will join Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic in Group F of the European Championship.
“I would pay to feel what I feel today,” Sagnol said after the match, speaking in English.
They had never come close to qualifying before, until losing in the play-offs at the same stage of the last Euro, losing 1-0 at home against North Macedonia in 2020.
