AFP
Paris
Two small British nations clash for the momentous prize of a Euro 2016 quarter-final berth on Saturday when Gareth Bale's Wales meet Northern Ireland in a post-Brexit clash in Paris.
Wales (population 3.1 million) and Northern Ireland (1.8 million) have never previously appeared at a European Championship finals, but they find themselves in the last 16 with the eyes of the continent upon them. Having qualified above England as Group B winners following a brilliant 3-0 win over Russia, Wales enter the game as slight favourites and Bale admits that the team's new status is still sinking in.
"We've come through a massive journey," said the Real Madrid forward, who is the tournament's joint top scorer with three goals. "We've been in some bad places. We were 112th in the world and now we're in the last 16 of the Euros. These are the days to enjoy."
While the teams qualified in very different ways -- Wales striding into the knockout phase as group winners, Northern Ireland squeezing through as the fourth of the four best third-placed teams -- both had reason to thank their lucky stars for the serendipity of the draw. With no previous major competition winners among the eight teams in the top half of the tournament, the odds on a team emulating Greece's underdog triumph at Euro 2004 have shortened considerably.
The winners of Saturday's game will play either Belgium or Hungary in Lille on July 1 and there is unlikely to be much trepidation in either the Welsh or Northern Ireland camp about that prospect. Wales took four points from Belgium in qualifying and Northern Ireland did likewise to Hungary. Indeed, both Bale and Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty have expressed belief that their respective teams can go all the way.
