When Euro 2016 comes around it'll be 58 years since Wales last qualified for a major football championships… the 1958 World Cup, when Pele's goal in the quarter-finals ended the hopes of Jimmy Murphy's side.
But by the time Euro 2016 comes around Wales' wait to get to a major championships could well be over, with Chris Coleman's side on the brink of qualifying from Group B.
Before a ball was kicked in qualifying though it seemed like the planets had all aligned for Wales and it was destiny that the golden generation – with the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale and Joe Allen in the side – would finally put Wales back in the limelight.
There were two factors that suggested it was written in the stars… one, that for the first time since 1958 Israel stood in Wales' way, and two, that Euro 2016 is 58 years since the last appearance… in 1958.
Wales' path to Sweden '58 was far from smooth.
Qualifying saw Wales start out with a 1-0 win against Czechoslovakia at Ninian Park but a 2-1 defeat against East Germany in Leipzig and a 2-0 reverse against the Czechs in Prague left Wales lagging.
But Czechoslovakia's 3-1 win against East Germany in Brno kept the door open for Wales and a victory against the East Germans in Cardiff would keep their hopes of qualification alive.
On 25 September 1957 Wales hammered East Germany 4-1 at Ninian Park thanks to a Des Palmer hat-trick and a fourth goal from Cliff Jones.
The result left the group delicately poised with East Germany now needing to beat Czechoslovakia to keep their hopes alive, while a win for the Czechs in Leipzig would send them through.
On 27 October Murphy's men were praying for a narrow East German victory, which could see them qualify as all the sides would be tied on two wins and two defeats. But sadly it was not to be, the Czechs won 4-1 to book their passage to Sweden, leaving Wales out of the running in second place.
But Wales' win against the East Germans a month earlier was to provide an unexpected lifeline.
One place at the finals had been allotted to the winner from the Africa-Asia qualifiers contested by 11 teams, including Israel, Cyprus and Turkey.
Indonesia won group one, Sudan went through from group four, while Cyprus withdrew from group three to see Egypt advance. They would be joined by the winner of group two… Israel, after Turkey pulled out for political reasons.
But when Indonesia pulled out of their game against Israel because Fifa rejected their request to play on neutral ground and then Egypt and Sudan both withdrew, it meant Israel would reach Sweden '58 without playing a game.
Fifa judged that this was not right as only the champions and hosts could qualify automatically, so they decided to arrange a play-off with one of the second-placed teams from European qualification.
Belgium were the first team drawn to play Israel but rejected the offer. Wales were the next team to be drawn and accepted the challenge… a play-off against Israel over two legs.
On 15 January 1958 Wales travelled to Tel Aviv, with goals from Len Allchurch and captain Dave Bowen earning them a 2-0 win. A repeat of that scoreline in Cardiff on 5 February booked Wales' place in the finals.
And 57 years on Wales stand on the verge of qualification once again, needing a win against Cyprus in Nicosia on 3 September to see them just one win away from qualifying.
And who do they meet in Cardiff three days later, well it just happens to be Israel. Could a win against Israel in Cardiff once again send Wales to a major finals?
In 1958, Murphy's side – containing the great John Charles, Ivor Allchurch, Bowen, Jones, Terry Medwin and Trevor Edwards – proved themselves worthy participants, qualifying for the quarter-finals after drawing with Hungary, Mexico and Sweden and then beating the Hungarians in a play-off.
But up against Brazil in the quarter-finals a 17-year-old by the name of Edson Arantes do Nascimento scored his first World Cup goal after 66 minutes to end the Welsh dream as Brazil won 1-0.
Better known as Pele, he scored a hat-trick against France in the semi-finals and two more in the final as Brazil won both games 5-2 to become world champions for the first time.
In Euro 2016 there won't be a Pele to stand in Wales' way, instead there'll be the world's most expensive player in their line-up... Bale. Brazil had their talisman in 1958, Wales have theirs in 2016. Dream? it's destiny!
