Gareth Bale hat-trick rescues Wales World Cup hopes

Wales' Gareth Bale reacts during the World Cup 2022 qualifying Group E soccer match between Belarus and Wales at the Centralny Stadium in Kazan, Russia, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Alexei Nasyrov).

World Cup qualifier: Belarus 2 Wales 3 

Just as it seemed Wales’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup were in danger of drifting out of sight behind closed doors in Kazan, Gareth Bale completed his hat-trick to supply a winning formula. Two disastrous first-half minutes left Wales with work to do after the break but Bale scored in second-half stoppage time to kill off a stubborn Belarus side that fell to their knees as the ball squeezed in beyond goalkeeper Sergei Chernik.