Serbia Bests Portugal To Qualify for 2022 World Cup

Ronaldo and Co. could very well be absent from the upcoming World Cup, as their last remaining hope comes down to qualifying through the playoffs.

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The international break is often labeled as boring and tedious, but there was real drama that was stirred up this weekend. An Alexandar Mitrovic header late in the 90th minute qualified Serbia for the World Cup, crushing Portugal’s hopes of finishing first in the group.

The home side had a dream start early in the game, with Bernardo Silva assisting Renato Sanches, who put Portugal up 1-0. Tadic equalized before halftime, and Serbia gained more control in the second half, pinning the Portuguese back. Mitrovic was subbed on late, and the gamble paid off with the Serbian striker heading home the winner from a Tadic cross.

Ronaldo was seen breaking down in tears, and the team as well as the fans in the Estadio La Luz were completely stunned. All Portugal needed was a draw, but the poor result comes as no surprise to many followers of the team who have had to witness underwhelming performances under the management of Fernando Santos.

In a recent statement, Santos stated: “We have to say sorry. The Portuguese people are obviously sad. Not more than us, but just like us. But my team will be at the Qatar World Cup. That is guaranteed.”

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Portugal’s last remaining hope is qualifying through the playoffs, where 12 teams battle for 3 places. They join Portugal, Scotland, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Wales, Turkey, Poland, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Austria, and the Czech Republic in the tournament, which will be in the Spring of next year.