Scotland vs Ukraine LIVE: World Cup play-off result, final score and reaction as Ukraine triumph
Follow all the updates from Hampden Park as both nations look to move one step away from the finals in Qatar at the end of the year
Ukraine kept alive their dream of reaching the World Cup finals, beating Scotland 3-1 in their play-off at Hampden Park in their first game since the Russian invasion of their country.
Ukraine will now face Wales on Sunday in Cardiff with the winner taking a place in November’s finals in Qatar. The loss means Scotland remain without an appearance at a World Cup since 1998.
Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk had put a confident and dominant Ukraine 2-0 up before Callum McGregor pulled a goal back for the Scots in the 79th minute.
The goal injected some belief into Scotland who applied some late pressure but deep into stoppage time substitute Artem Dovbyk finished off a counter-attack to secure the victory.
Follow all the reaction below as Ukraine beat Scotland in the World Cup play-off semi-final:
Scotland and Wales’ potential path to World Cup final at Qatar 2022
Scotland and Wales fans still don’t know whether their teams will be heading to Qatar to participate in the 2022 FIFA World Cup this winter, but their path to the final is now clear after the group stage draw was concluded in Doha.
Teams must navigate three matches in the group phase and then three further knock-out fixtures in Qatar before the trophy is up for grabs on 18 December at the 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium - with both the Dragons and the Tartan Army learning on Friday that they will face England, Iran and USA in Group B if they prevail in the play-off.
Every other European qualification spot has already been confirmed, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prevented Scotland and Wales from completing key fixtures. Steve Clarke’s Scots are due to face the Ukrainians in a delayed play-off semi-final at Hampden Park in June, with Wales then facing the winners in a one-off fixture which will determine who fills the final spot at the 2022 World Cup.
Scotland and Wales’ path to World Cup final at Qatar 2022
Wales are already into the final of the World Cup qualifying play-off, while Scotland must face Ukraine in the semi-finals.
Ukraine’s World Cup play-off
This will be the fifth time Ukraine have competed in a World Cup qualification play-off, failing to progress from any so far:
1997 vs Croatia (lost 3-1),
2001 vs Germany (2-5),
2009 vs Greece (0-1),
2013 vs France (2-3).
Scotland are ready
Scotland’s last trip to the World Cup was 24 years ago in 1998. Can they get there again this year?
Clarke expecting ‘emotional’ night
Steve Clarke expects tonight’s world cup play-off semi-final to be an emotional night for both teams after the match at Hampden Park was delayed from March following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Back in March, Ukraine’s footballers were drawn into the fight against the Russian invasion but have since been evacuated out of the country in order to try and reach the World Cup and bring some hope to their countrymen back home.
"They made a decision to get their football players out the country and to a training camp because they want to play and want to try to give their nation a boost by qualifying for Qatar," Clarke said about tonight’s game.
"The game goes ahead amid the horrific outside influence, but for us, we focus on the game of football.
"How you would deal with yourself if you were put in that situation, you don't know until you're actually there, but I've nothing but good thoughts for them and good wishes for them - except for during the game."
Emotional Oleksandr Zinchenko breaks down on eve of Ukraine’s World Cup play-off with Scotland
Oleksandr Zinchenko burst into tears at an emotional press conference on the eve of Ukraine’s World Cup play-off against Scotland.
The semi-final was delayed after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February and tonight’s match will be the country’s first competitive fixture since, with Zinchenko vowing to give those back home “incredible emotions”.
“Every Ukrainian wants one thing - to stop this war,” said Zinchenko. “I spoke to people from different countries, all over the world and I spoke to some Ukrainian kids who just don’t understand what’s happening back in Ukraine.”
Tearful Oleksandr Zinchenko vows to give Ukraine ‘incredible emotions’
‘Every Ukrainian wants one thing - to stop this war,’ said the Man City midfielder
‘We don’t want to be one-tournament wonders’
Scotland boss, Steve Clarke, is sure this Scotland squad will not be "one-tournament wonders" as they prepare to face Ukraine in their World Cup play-off this evening.
Clarke led Scotland to the delayed Euro 2020 last year which was their first major tournament finals in 23 years and he knows that his men are so close to another major competition.
If the Scots defeat Ukraine they will travel to Wales on Sunday, with the winner of that game qualifying for Qatar 2022.
"This team, this squad of players, will go to another tournament," Clarke said, "We said we didn’t want to be one-tournament wonders. I’m convinced that this group of players won’t be, whether it’s this tournament 2022 in Qatar or 2024 in Germany or 2026 in America."
Scotland clash ‘the hope of the country’ for all of Ukraine, says Andriy Shevchenko
Former Ukraine captain and manager Andriy Shevchenko insists the ‘hope of the country’ rests on their World Cup play-off against Scotland on Wednesday night.
The two national teams face off at Hampden Park for the right to meet Wales in Sunday’s final, with the winner of that game progressing to the World Cup finals in Qatar later this year.
Ukraine is currently at war with Russia following Vladimir Putin’s invasion in February. The match against Scotland was originally due to take place in March but was moved due to the impact of the war.
And Shevchenko, who is Ukraine’s record scorer and also managed them from 2016 to 2021, believes the team have what it takes to qualify for a second World Cup since their independence in 1991.
Scotland clash ‘the hope of the country’ for all of Ukraine, says Andriy Shevchenko
Ukraine face Scotland at Hampden Park in their World Cup play-off semi-final on Wednesday
Scotland vs Ukraine
The atmosphere is building nicely and the players are ready for this long-awaited clash. Scotland are two matches away from reaching their first men’s World Cup in 24 years.
Hampden Park will host a World Cup play-off semi-final between Scotland and Ukraine this evening in a game that will be watched around the world given the situation in Ukraine.
It will be emotional, tense and enthralling.
‘Take us to the World Cup’: Ukraine and Scotland ready for play-off that is now more than just a game
“If it was any other country, I would probably want them to win,” the Scotland captain Andy Robertson grinned ahead of tonight’s World Cup semi-final play-off with Ukraine, “but unfortunately they’re playing against my country and we have to stand in their way.”
There will be a balancing of emotions at play at Hampden this evening, coming into a match that a few months ago already carried huge significance but has now developed into something far larger. As Robertson explained while navigating the lines between both sides, Scotland will welcome Ukraine with open arms on what is set to be an emotional occasion, as the country plays its first competitive fixture since it was invaded by Russia three months ago, but they will need to be ready for a contest as well.
There is a place in Qatar on the line, after all, as Scotland sense their best opportunity in a generation to end their 24-year wait for an appearance at a men’s World Cup. The Tartan Army will be ready, not just in preparation for what is set to be an outpouring of support for Ukraine, but to roar their team into Sunday’s play-off final against Wales. Perspective, however, is never far away. “There will be an incredible atmosphere at Hampden,” the Ukraine head coach Oleksandr Petrakov admitted in the build-up to his team’s match, “but after rockets and bombs, we are not afraid of anything.”
Read Jamie Braidwood’s full match preview here:
‘Take us to the World Cup’: Ukraine ready for match that is now more than just a game
An emotional occasion as Ukraine return to action but once the match gets underway there’s no room to be sentimental
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