Soccer-Wales desperate to qualify for first World Cup since 1958, says Bale

(Reuters) - Captain Gareth Bale said Wales are desperate to qualify for their first World Cup finals appearance in 64 years when they take on Ukraine in Sunday's playoff match at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Wales' only World Cup finals appearance was in Sweden in 1958, where they lost to Brazil in the quarter-finals.

"It's a big game. It's difficult to put it into whether it's 'the' big game. Obviously, we played in a semi-final of a European Championship" in 2016, Bale, who sat out Wales' 2-1 Nations League defeat to Poland, told reporters on Saturday.

"It's a massive game. I think there's no hiding it. We've only played in one World Cup.

"So this is a stepping stone that all of us want to take to play on the biggest level. And yeah, we have a massive game tomorrow that we're desperate to win and to achieve our goal."

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