Wales suffer Euro 2024 heartbreak after Poland win dramatic penalty shootout

Daniel James is dejected after his penalty miss gave Poland a spot at Euro 2024. Photograph: David Davies/PA

The Wales supporters sang with increased vigour and a, by now hoarse, stadium announcer pleaded with added desperation but after a penalty shootout, the dream of reaching a fourth major tournament in five was over in the most agonising of circumstances.

A set of flawless penalties from Poland and a Daniel James spot-kick, saved by Wojciech Szczesny, instead earned Poland a passage to the Euro 2024 finals in Germany this summer.

Robert Lewandowski set the tone with the first penalty, sending Danny Ward the wrong way with a staggered run-up, and then Krzysztof Piatek fired in Poland’s last, before James’s penalty was repelled.

After the strains of Yma o Hyd and then the thudding beat of Zombie Nation filled the air, it was over to a typically supercharged national anthem to boost Wales’ efforts to reach a third straight European Championship.

A section of Wales supporters jeered the Polish anthem so when the visitors returned the compliment, the ‘Red Wall’ simply turned up the volume. It was a kind of guttural uprising, deep-rooted passion, pride and prayers coming to the surface.

A few minutes before the interval, Welsh supporters launched into an a capella Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and, as if the two things were interlinked, a galloping Connor Roberts immediately fashioned a whiff of Szczesny’s goal. Then Brennan Johnson almost located Harry Wilson with a wonderful reverse pass.

Then arrived the most significant nearly-moment of the half. Wales worked a throw-in deep into the one indicated additional minute to Neco Williams, whose cross found the towering Kieffer Moore at the back post.

Moore cushioned a header into the six-yard box where Ben Davies, again captain with Aaron Ramsey only fit enough for the bench, calmly guided a header into the pocket of the Poland goal.

The Wales dugout erupted into celebration but prematurely, with Davies straying offside beyond Przemyslaw Frankowski.

It had been that kind of half for Moore, who was promoted to the starting lineup in Wales’s only change from their resounding victory over Finland last week.

Harry Wilson began on the right of the front three, with Johnson operating off the left and Moore down the middle. Moore was a magnet for the Polish defence and could only smile after being manhandled by the cumbersome Pawel Dawidowicz.

Poland settled the quicker in an occasion bubble-wrapped in nerves. A hush fell on the stadium as Frankowski sent a cross bouncing into the Wales six-yard box, but Karol Swiderski could not get on the end of it after racing between Chris Mepham and Joe Rodon.

Ethan Ampadu barrelled into Lewandowski in an attempt to get a grip on the midfield. Rodon made a panicked intervention to prevent Nicola Zalewski from getting a clean shot away after slaloming from left to right.

Wales grew into the game, with Wilson moseying into the box unchallenged. Johnson effortlessly plucked a pass out of the sky and Ampadu pinged a sweet diagonal pass into Williams. Then, on the verge of half-time, they thought things had come together, only for offside to bite.

Robert Page was adamant that Wales would not have any kind of inferiority complex against a Poland team boasting a household name in Lewandowski. “They’re in the playoffs for a reason,” was Page’s take on a Poland team that finished behind Albania and Czech Republic in qualifying.

They also have a fine goalkeeper in Szczesny and four minutes into the second half the 33-year-old made a superb left-hand save to claw a Moore header to safety.

Moore, again fouled by Dawidowicz, earned a free-kick and Williams flighted it towards him from the right. Moore got clean contact on the cross and sent a header spinning towards the top corner only for Szczesny to intercept.

It was the kind of stop Neville Southall, among the heroes of yesteryear up in the stands, would have been proud of. Poland struggled to mute Moore, who returned to Ipswich on loan in January, and the striker led Jakub Piotrowski into a taking a booking after clipping his heels on halfway.

Compared to Page, Michal Probierz was on the charm offensive before the game, even bearing gifts for his opposite number: some golf balls emblazoned with the Poland crest. At the same time the Poland manager did anything but dress up the occasion. “Finals and playoffs aren’t played, they’re won,” he said, matter-of-factly.

It explained why, as the temperatures on the pitch soared and the nerves in the stands frayed, Page set about pacing his technical area. He was in effect powerless now but introduced Daniel James in place of Johnson on 70 minutes. A few minutes earlier Davies made an excellent block to halt an advancing Lewandowski, just as the 35-year-old seemed to have flicked the switch, prompting panicked red shirts to hare after him in pursuit.

As the end of normal time loomed, things naturally got tetchy. Wilson twisted and turned down the right in an attempt to unravel the Poland back line but offered just enough encouragement to the Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior to steal the ball.