Simon Church
Former Wales striker Simon Church on BBC Radio Wales

You can sense the atmosphere is electric, it's giving me goose bumps. These are the types of games you want to be playing in.

This will help the players, they know how big it is, they know the fans are going to be behind them and that will give them the confidence to go out and get a result tonight.

Wales will use the "hurt" of previous near misses as inspiration tonight, says Gareth Bale.

Wales have not qualified for a World Cup since 1958 but have come agonisingly close on several occasions since.

Captain Bale, 32, will use some of his own such experiences - such as 2017's loss to the Republic of Ireland - as part of his team talk tonight.

"We have to give 100% and have no regrets," he said.

"We can draw on past experiences that have hurt us but also the excitement of what potentially is ahead, so there is a lot to play for.

"You can look to anything to help inspire us and there will not be a lot that needs to be said, a game of this magnitude speaks for itself and we'll be ready to go."

A World Cup remains elusive for Bale, who will be approaching his 37th birthday when the 2026 tournament starts.

"I wouldn't say it would be a regret if I didn't play in a World Cup as it's not really in my hands but it's something I would love to achieve for myself, my country, the fans of Wales," he added.

"It's been a long time. It will only be a regret if we don't give 100% and leave anything in the tank.

"Once you've done that there won't be regrets regardless of the result. Hopefully our best will be enough.

"Thinking about the future can cause doubts in your own mind, so I've not been thinking about that. I've just been focusing on this game coming up and whatever happens in the future I'll decide in future."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

The noise and the atmosphere is really building in the Cardiff City Stadium now.

We are close to fever pitch.

Sam Ricketts
Former Wales defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

I don’t think anyone can overestimate what Gareth Bale has done for Wales and what he brings to the side - even the confidence he brings to other players. He’s proved time and time.

It felt it [the scale of the game] just driving to the stadium, the traffic was building up, the fans were in the pub. The grannies are talking about it, the kids at school are. It has the country gripped. This is the World Cup.

Nathan Blake
Former Wales striker on BBC Radio Wales

Once you've got Bale, Ramsey and Dan James in that attacking mode and then you've got wingbacks that can get forward as well... I'm very happy with the team.

Daniel Bachmann will tonight look to shatter the World Cup dreams of the country which helped launch his career.

You can read all about his connection to Wales here.

I guess Bachman wants to turn(er) Austrian football into overdrive.

Think that's bad? Baby you just ain't see nothing yet.

Let's hope tonight's game is something that you're never gonna forget.

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Vokes
Wales and Wycombe striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think we’ll miss Kieffer Moore. He’s been a big player for us. But the three [attacking] players there tonight will excite this crowd. It’s huge.

You can feel the nervous energy as well as the buzz. It’s the tournament that’s evaded us for so long. This is the one, this is the World Cup. We all want to watch our country in the World Cup.

This is going to be something really special, something that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

The Cardiff City Stadium is about to hear a live rendition of Yma o Hyd by the legendary Welsh folk artist, Dafydd Iwan.

It's an absolute belter, let's be honest here.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Neco Williams says Wales' young players are just as desperate to qualify for a World Cup as the country's 'golden generation'.

Key players such as Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen - all in their 30s - have said this could be their last chance to qualify for a World Cup.

But Williams, 20, says a desire to make it to Qatar runs right through Robert Page's squad.

"You think about it all the time," said Williams, who is on loan at Fulham from Liverpool.

"As players you always want to play in the biggest of tournaments and on the biggest stages.

"Just as much as the older senior lads want to qualify, it's exactly the same for us younger lads.

"We're all in the same boat, we all want to qualify and it would mean everything to us."

Read more: Wales youngsters dream of World Cup as much as 'golden generation'

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Simon Church
Former Wales striker Simon Church on BBC Radio Wales

To be part of the squad and the success we had and now being here with the fans - the excitement and atmosphere is going to be amazing.

We've got a lot of experience in the team, players who know what to do on nights like this.

Wales fans of a certain age will recall another big winner-takes-all home game against Austria in 1975.

Heading into the final game of the European Championship qualifying campaign, both countries needed to win at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground to finish top of the group and qualify for the quarter-final stage of the competition.

Local hero, Wrexham’s 33-year-old Arfon Griffiths, was Wales’ match winner with a goal which sent a packed Racecourse into a frenzy and put Mike Smith’s side into the last eight.

They would face Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals, but that’s another story for another time...

Image source, Rex Features

Nathan Blake
Former Wales striker on BBC Radio Wales

It's a big night for Welsh football. It will be the icing on the cake if they can make it to the World Cup.

Wales manager Robert Page says his side will take the game to Austria tonight.

He says the players know the importance of the game and expects his side to be ready - with the winners facing either Scotland or Ukraine for a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Few followers of Welsh football need to be reminded that it has been a while for Wales when it comes to the World Cup.

In fact, it is just shy of 64 years since Wales appeared on football's biggest stage.

Indeed, this play-off is the closest the national side have come to making it in almost three decades.

BBC Sport Wales has taken a look at past qualification campaigns, and how close Wales have come on several occasions.

Read it if you dare... Warning, may contain bad memories for Wales supporters.

Penalties, passports and floodlights: Wales’ painful World Cup history

Image source, Get

The best thing about Wales' last World Cup play-off involvement, of course, was that they made it through to the tournament.

Elis James explains how Wales reached the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

If you want an idea of how significant it is that Wales are about to feature in the World Cup play-offs, perhaps the best place to start would be the last time they were there, way back in 1958.

It was a far cry from the ultra-professional operation of modern-day international football when Wales travelled to Israel 64 years ago - and turned up without any balls.

The oversight meant manager Jimmy Murphy, Matt Busby's assistant at Manchester United, could only prepare his side for the first leg in Tel Aviv with fitness sessions.

They did at least get presented with some oranges during their stay in Israel, as you can see below.

BBC Sport Wales looks back at Wales' 1958 tale of politics, show tunes and triumph in Israel.

Image source, Getty Images

There is something of a Hammers reunion going on here, with striker Marko Arnautovic, who starts up front for Austria, catching up with his former West Ham team-mate - and ex-Wales central defender - James Collins.

Collins is on television duty this evening, while if you were wondering, Arnautovic is playing for Bologna in Serie A these days after a two-year spell in China.

Image source, Getty Images

Fans have been descending on Cardiff from all around the world today.

"It's a massive game," Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, said.

"It is a World Cup final for us in many ways."

Fans descend on Cardiff for crucial World Cup qualifier

Image source, Getty Images

Ten European nations have qualified for the 2022 World Cup and only three spots remain up for grabs.

Eleven countries are still dreaming of earning places at the tournament in Qatar in November and December, including Scotland, Wales, European champions Italy, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Sweden

The play-off situation is a slightly different one now to that presented when the draw was made back in November, following Fifa's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia, who were due to face Poland, have been disqualified from the competition, while Ukraine's path A semi-final with Scotland has been postponed until June.

The 11 countries have been split into three sections, with only one nation advancing from each path.

Here we look at each country's World Cup record and what they need to do to join Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland at world football's greatest show.

Big European names in danger of missing out on World Cup.

Image source, Getty Images

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Austria also welcome back a Real Madrid player into their team, in the form of David Alaba.

Capable of playing in defence or midfield, Alaba captains the visitors from left-back tonight.

Former West Ham and Stoke City forward Marko Arnautovic leads the line for the visitors.

Austria: Lindner; Lainer, Hinteregger, Dragovic, Alaba; Seiwald, Laimer; Schlager, Sabitzer, Baumgartner; Arnautovic.

Image source, BBC Sport