Last chance for Gareth Bale to reach World Cup? – Wales v Austria talking points

Wales play Austria in a World Cup play-off semi-final in Cardiff on Thursday.

The winners will host Scotland or Ukraine in June to decide a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points as Wales seek to play in football’s biggest tournament for the first time since 1958.

Football is littered with great players never to have played at a World Cup – Alredo Di Stefano, George Best and George Weah to name but three. Gareth Bale would surely join them should Wales fail to make it to Qatar. Bale would be nearly 37 by the time the 2026 World Cup is hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. Bale comes into the Austria game with doubts over his fitness, having played just 77 minutes for Real Madrid since the end of August. He joined up with Wales after Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said he dropped out of Sunday’s El Clasico with Barcelona as he “didn’t feel well”. But the signs are Bale will start against Austria and win his 101st cap.

If we’re honest, Wales could not have been handed a more favourable play-off path to the World Cup. Robert Page’s side avoided big-hitters like Italy, Portugal and Sweden – all of whom are above Wales in the FIFA world rankings – and have the prospect of two home ties to reach Qatar. Wales can take comfort from their excellent record at the Cardiff City Stadium, where they are unbeaten in 11 competitive games – a run stretching back to November 2018. The Dragons have turned the place into a fortress and quickly dismissed the idea of playing at Welsh rugby’s 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium. The players love playing at their Cardiff home and a big atmosphere awaits Austria.

With goalkeeper Danny Ward and striker Kieffer Moore out injured,