Top 5 most memorable World Cup playoffs ever

4. Wales vs Israel (1958)

In the first intercontinental playoff for the World Cup in the tournament’s history, Wales, who were runners-up in their qualifying group, took on Israel in a two-legged tie after Israel’s prospective opponents from both Asia and Africa refused to face them. While both teams were hoping to make their first World Cup appearance, Wales proved much too strong for Israel, beating them 2-0 in both legs to record a 4-0 aggregate victory.

However, for two members of the team, this playoff had much more meaning. If they hadn’t been playing the playoff, then manager Jimmy Murphy and striker Colin Webster would have been travelling with their team Manchester United at the time when the team were hit by the Munich air disaster.