From Wales to the World: S4C announces World Cup countdown coverage

With the Welsh football team’s historic appearance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup drawing ever nearer, S4C will turn the channel red with a stellar line-up of programmes celebrating the history and culture of the beautiful game in Wales.

For the first time since 1958, Wales will take its place in the finals of a World Cup on Monday 21 November, as they face the USA in Qatar. This game, and every Wales game during the competition will be shown live on S4C.

To build the excitement, there will an array of special programmes for Wales supporters to enjoy on television and across the S4C digital platforms.

Kicking off the schedule on Monday 31 October will be a special film called Cewri Cwpan y Byd (translation – World Cup Giants. Produced by Docshed). The film charts the rising fortunes of Welsh football over a tumultuous and transformational two decades, featuring in-depth interviews with players, managers, staff and supporters, including Gareth Bale, Chris Coleman, and Rob Page.

We’ll enjoy a candid one-on-one chat between Owain Tudur Jones and his former Wales and Swansea City team-mate, Joe Allen, in the series Y Gêm gyda… (Tinopolis) on S4C, S4C Clic, S4C YouTube and across the @S4Cchwaraeon platforms on Wednesday 3 November. Owain will chat with a number of high-profile sporting guests during the series, including Gwennan Harries and Mike Phillips, with each episode also being televised on S4C.

On Monday 7 December, current affairs series Y Byd ar Bedwar: Cost Cwpan y Byd Qatar (ITV Cymru) will take a journalistic look at the host country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. From the poor conditions reportedly experienced by the stadium’s construction workers, to concerns about the country’s human rights record, we will learn more about Qatar in this special edition.

On Tuesday 9 November, Heno: Tîm Qatar 2022 (Tinopolis) will broadcast live from Tylorstown in the Rhondda, for the announcement of the Wales World Cup squad. The Sgorio team will join the programme to discuss Rob Page’s selections and look forward to the tournament.

We’ll delve into the golden age of Welsh football in the programme Bois 58 (Docshed) on Sunday 13 November. The programme will take a longing look back on Wales’ last World Cup finals appearance in 1958, remembering the legendary squad that reached the quarter finals with player interviews and rare archive footage.

Also on Sunday 13 November, we’ll hear the story behind the song adopted as the team’s unofficial anthem – Yma o Hyd (Afanti Media). We’ll unpack the meaning of this famous song and follow Dafydd Iwan’s emotional journey with the national team and the Red Wall, who have embraced him and his music.

On Friday 18 November, the excitement levels will be ramped up even further in Wal Goch: Cwpan y Byd 2022 (Red Wall: 2022 World Cup – Afanti Media). Yws Gwynedd and Mari Lovgreen host this entertainment programme which combines football and live music with plenty of laughs and brilliant guests, with an episode being showed before every Friday night during the World Cup.

On the eve of the huge game between the USA and Wales, S4C will hold a celebration of our language, culture and unique Welsh talent in a special concert in New York, Cyngerdd Cymru i’r Byd (Wales to the World Concert – Orchard), on Sunday 20 November. Held at Sony Hall, Time Square, the concert will be twinned with Wrexham’s Wal Goch Festival and include performances in iconic locations around Wales. With contributions from Ioan Gruffudd, Mathew Rhys, Michael Sheen and a host of talented artists performing on the night, the concert will be a celebration of our nation as the eyes of the world are upon us.

Following the concert, we’ll get an exclusive, rare insight into the team that enables Rob Page and the Wales squad to perform on the pitch, in the programme Y Tîm Tu Ôl i’r Tîm (The Team Behind the Team – Rondo Media). This behind-the-scenes programme will follow a host of key members of the Football Association of Wales as they make the important judgement calls that will have direct consequences on the national team’s fortunes.

During the World Cup, Hansh will shed some light on the dedicated supporters who follow the Wales team across the world in the series, Pa Fath o Bobl (What Kind of People – Boom Cymru), with Garmon ab Ion.

For children, a new season of sports series CIC (Boom Cymru) will begin before the World Cup, with live shows being hosted every Friday afternoon by Heledd Anna, Lloyd Lewis and Huw Owen.

Stwnsh (Boom Cymru) will bring the energy every Saturday morning with live shows that take a fun look at the World Cup. And with the nation’s schoolchildren taking part in the Urdd’s Jambori World Cup Singalong (Boom Cymru), a special Stwnsh programme will showcase their talents.

S4C’s social media platforms will play a central role during this momentous period with content that will spread the buzz around the nation. S4C’s official World Cup song will be released in November, while a series of special items called Dechrau’r Daith (Beginning of the Journey) will visit the homes of Wales stars to see where their journeys to become international footballers began.

The S4C Chwaraeon Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts will bring daily content and updates from Qatar during the FIFA World Cup, as well as online preview shows with Sioned Dafydd the evening before each Wales game.

Llinos Griffin-Williams, S4C Chief Content Officer, said: “As our national team proudly takes its place in the world’s biggest football competition, S4C will reflect the wealth and diversity of Welsh culture with a magnificent slate of content. From New York to Wrexham, the Rhondda to Doha, our programming will take our viewers on an international journey through our history and heritage, with plenty of celebration and entertainment along the way.

“Of course, football will be at the heart of our schedule and we will transport our viewers to the Red Wall in Qatar with our live matches and varied selection of cross-platform content.

“We are very grateful to the Football Association of Wales for their close collaboration, which has enabled us to celebrate the importance of the beautiful game to our nation with our programming.

“Most importantly of all, I would like to wish the Wales team the best of luck on behalf of everyone from S4C. We are so proud of you all and we will be behind you all the way.”