For Ukraine the World Cup looked unthinkable. Now they're 1 game away after spirited win over Scotland

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The World Cup is 90 minutes away for Ukraine.

It is hard to comprehend that a country that is fighting for its very existence after Russia invaded in February is able to qualify for a football tournament.

The football team's potential qualification for the tournament may not mean much to those who are suffering from war in the country. The horrors of war, the tenacity of pride and the flair displayed by the players at the game will be seen in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Mariupol and the other towns that have survived.

England, the United States, and Iran will be in Group B of the World Cup if Ukraine can defeat Wales on Sunday.

We need to win it or it won't mean anything.

Everyone knows the situation in Ukraine, so it is going to be a big game for us. The best performance of our lives is what we need to show.

Ukraine should not have had a chance in this game. Six of their starting team are from clubs in the Ukrainian premier league. The coach admitted before the game that he didn't know how fit those players were until the game started.

The Ukrainian challenge was more than just a sporting one. The players did not kick a ball since December because of the Russian invasion.

Life stopped as Ukraine fought to resist Russia. The players went from training at their clubs to hiding in underground shelters with their families.

The play-off was due to be played on March 24, but there was no chance of most of the squad leaving their country. Football was not important.

Petrakov has been able to assemble a squad, train them and get them fit for the challenge of making it to the playoffs. The players had a month-long training camp in Slovenia after a 37 hour bus journey from Kyiv, which gave them the chance to give the children and soldiers of Ukraine some hope and joy.

The Manchester City player broke down in tears during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. The emotional demands of playing this game would drain the physical reserves of players who have had to deal with so much in recent months.

The reality was not what it appeared to be. Ukraine produced a remarkable performance, not just of energy and desire, but of their football as well.

They had walked out for the national anthem, each player draped with a Ukraine flag, before collectively embracing as they sang.

When captain Yarmolenko received a yellow card for a bad tackle on Billy Gilmour, it signaled to the players that the emotion was getting the better of them.

Yarmolenko had a close-range effort saved before the West Ham forward opened the scoring on 33 minutes with a stunning lob over Gordon after beating the offside trap to latch onto Ruslan's long pass.

Scotland, with their best chance of qualification for the World Cup since 1998, simply froze on the big stage. After being booed off at halftime, Scotland fell further behind when Roman Yaremchuk headed in the second goal on 49 minutes.

The 3,000 Ukraine supporters who had traveled from various cities in Europe to support their team watched Yaremchuk celebrate in front of them. Many were refugees who had fled the conflict, a small number were orphans who had been given tickets for the game by the Scottish Football Association. As Yaremchuk danced in delight, it was a sea of blue and yellow as the fans waved their flags in celebration.

Even though Scotland fought back, with John McGinn heading an easy chance wide on 67 minutes, and then just 11 minutes from the end of the game, Ukraine never looked likely to give up their lead.

The beautiful game is here. Leagues, tournaments and teams can be watched.

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