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GLASGOW, Scotland — On the eve of a World Cup qualifier between Ukraine and Scotland, emotions are high. It is the only guarantee ahead of a match whose significance will extend far beyond the confines of Hampden Park.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian national team will play its first competitive fixture since the Russian invasion, and it happens to be the semifinal of a single-elimination playoff with a ticket to Qatar as the prize, one of three berths at the 2022 World Cup that have yet to be claimed. In the buildup to the match, the singing of the national anthem seems to be just as poignant as the game itself—and it is that very forecast of emotional release that has suffused the fixture.
