The best moments from Wales’ celebrations after beating Belgium
July 2, 2016
Wales beat Belgium 3–1 to become the smallest nation to ever reach a Euros semifinal, setting up a tasty showdown between Real Madrid teammates Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It looked like Wales’ fairytale run in their first ever Euros appearance might come to a predictable end with the far more talented Belgium scoring early, but Wales went on to score three unanswered goals over the final hour of the match to advance. The performance elicited underdog sports cliches about heart and teamwork that have carried them through this tournament. And after the match, they really drove that point home.
https://vine.co/v/5zjJ1rzQQAH/embed/simple
Perhaps the most incredible aspect of Wales’ success is that manager Chris Coleman began his tenure in 2012 with five consecutive losses after taking over in the wake of former manager Gary Speed’s death. To endure such a difficult period has clearly helped bond this team together, allowing them to achieve greatness beyond the sum of their parts. And the fact that he’s been able to take this team to such heights has clearly stunned even Coleman himself.
And this guy, too.
When you can't quite believe you've made the semi-final. #WALBEL #EURO2016 #WAL pic.twitter.com/TbmFJaSsna
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 1, 2016
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Wales victory without a Joe Ledley dance party.
Usual antics from this ledge 😂 @joe16led 🔥👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/FcXi1rXkRR
— David Cotterill (@cotterill_david) July 1, 2016
And finally, the beer storm:
Who wants to see a THIRD #WAL goal??#BEL #EURO2016https://t.co/4ljA1bjeUJ
— BBC Wales News (@BBCWalesNews) July 1, 2016