Heartwarming Moment Referee Consoles Man City Defender Zinchenko After Ukraine World Cup Heartbreak

• Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz had to console a heartbroken Oleksandr Zinchenko following Ukraine's failure to qualify for the World Cup
• The Manchester City defender was left in tears after Wales beat them to one of the tickets for the World Cup in Qatar
• Andriy Yarmolenko's first half own goal gave Wales the winner as they return to the global showpiece for the first time since 1958

Ukraine defender Oleksandr Zinchenko was visibly broken after his country's failure to qualify for the World Cup following a narrow defeat to Wales in the qualifiers.

The Manchester City defender had to be consoled by Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz as he broke down in tears after the disappointment.

In photos posted on social media, Lahoz is seen encouraging the Ukrainian not to give up, having already been through tough times.

Zinchenko has showed strong affection for his country during these difficult times, as he takes every opportunity he gets to preach against war following the dispute between Ukraine and Russia.

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Football

Wales star Gareth Bale also took the chance to console Zinchenko after the match.

A first half own goal from Andriy Yarmolenko saw Wales make a return to the World Cup for the first time in 44 years.

Wales qualify for the World Cup in Qatar after beating Ukraine

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Wales have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1958.

The Dragons booked a place in the 2022 edition of the global football tournament after seeing off Ukraine in an epic World Cup final play-off played at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday, June 5.

The two teams set up a date against each other after they won their respective semi-final play-off fixtures.

Zinchenko breaks down in tears as he calls for peace between Ukraine and Russia

Manchester City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko broke down as he narrated the effects of the Russian aggression on his home country of Ukraine.

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Zinchenko was speaking to the press ahead of Ukraine’s big clash against Scotland on Wednesday night at the Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Ukraine has been war-torn since Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized his troops to war in February.