The Qatar World Cup is knocking on the door. But we are on the edge of knowing heart-breaking news before the World Cup. Because one from Italy and Portugal will qualify for the Qatar World Cup. The other one will end their journey from the playoff round. Italy, the Euro 2020 champion, couldn’t book their seat in this world cup directly from the Qualifying round, nor could Portugal.
Portugal lost their final game in the group round against Serbia. Because of that, they missed the chance to advance directly to the World Cup. As a result, Portugal have to play the playoff stage now. Tonight, Portugal will face Turkey to go one step closer to the biggest show on earth. However, If Portugal can win tonight, they will face either Italy or North Macedonia in the final round of the playoffs.
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the great footballers of all time, has played four FIFA World Cups since his international debut. But he’s now 38 years old and is about to play the last WC this time. It is unlikely to see Ronaldo in the World Cup of 2026 because of his age and fitness. So the fans are hoping to see him in the Qatar World Cup.
Ronaldo’s Thoughts
Cristiano Ronaldo spoke out about the matches in the playoff round. He said,
It will be tough, but we are a good team, a young team. We have a fantastic coach [Fernando Santos], so we’re very, very, very positive about that. As I told you many, many times, my dream is to win something for the Portugal national team and I won two titles, which is making me feel happy. I win [with] every club that I have played with, but the World Cup… it’s a dream. It’s a dream.
Team News
There are several injury issues in Portugal’s squad. Manchester City defender, Ruben Dias, will definitely miss the match due to injury, while Joao Cancelo can’t serve the team for the suspension. Moreover, Pepe will not available tonight for a hamstring injury. But Cristiano Ronaldo will lead the team with Bruno Fernandez and Bernardo Silva. Ronaldo has great communication with Bruno Fernandez as both plays in the same club, Manchester United.