What are a few minutes when you have been waiting for 64 years?
Wales had just recorded their greatest result in their history, but this was a generation defining fixture with a difference.
Their opponents were here as well. With war raging in their homeland following Russia's invasion, Ukraine's footballers had summoned a heroic effort to beat Scotland in their play-off semi- final and almost repeated the feat in Wales.
You were moved as the exhausted players cried in the rain.
After the euphoria of the final whistle, when Wales' players sank to their knees and looked to the skies, they rose to their feet and walked over to the corner of the home crowd.
There was no one who left their seat in the red of Wales or the blue and yellow of Ukranian. Wales' players applaudedUkraine's fans, who returned the gesture.
The away end's thunderclap made its way around the rest of the crowd, including those from Wales who had been taken to a higher plane by their team.
Robert Page said they wanted to show their appreciation to them.
They deserved a lot of credit for the way they played in the two games and their supporters as well. We wanted to show them how much we respected them.
The admiration for Ukraine was sincere, but it was also significant for Wales.
After their only other appearance at a World Cup in 1958, Wales' relationship with the competition had become defined by agonising failure.
Although this golden generation had qualified for back-to-back European Championships and taken Wales to historic new heights, their absence from World Cups still represented a psychological barrier.
The players overcame it despite their nation's past.
It makes sense that they have adopted 'Yma o Hyd' as their team anthem.
Despite everyone and everything, we are still here. Through a long and turbulent history, the survival of Wales and the Welsh language has been symbolised by the song.
Iwan was so emotional before the World Cup play-off win over Austria that he was reduced to tears.
He was singing before the start of the game and after the final whistle.
The players joined in on the halfway line. Only a few of them speak Welsh, but this is a song which makes them happy.
Bale, one of the majority who do not speak Welsh, was leading the way, swaying from side to side with his arms around his team-mates' shoulders as he belted out the words.
The man whose free-kick settled this tie has been with the game for a long time. When Wales were outside the top 100, he was there.
As the protagonists of Wales' golden days - and these are the days - Bale and his team-mates can say with certainty and pride. The people are still here.
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