Essentially, Cristiano Ronaldo has guaranteed that Portugal will qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the final qualifying round of the European group stage at home to Serbia. However, the reassurance was short-lived and he will now have to sweat to turn what will likely be his last World Cup.
Portugal entered the final match as top of Group A, and a win or draw would be enough to book their ticket to Qatar 2022. Instead, they lost 2-1 to Serbia after a goal. late, runner-up and solved. for a spot in the knockout stages to decide if the 36-year-old Ronaldo has a chance to close out his legendary career with a World Cup title.
But the knockout stages will be tough: Portugal will have to win two separate single-leg knockout matches or miss out on the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Portugal and Ronaldo fans will be praying. the playoff draw is the best with them.
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The final standings of the European qualifying round
- Serbia: 20 points
- Portugal: 17
- Republic of Ireland: 9
- Luxembourg: 9
- Azerbaijan: 1
How World Cup knockouts work in Europe
Twelve European nations – 10 group runners-up and two UEFA Nations League winners – will be divided into three groups of four teams each. Those three parentheses will have a single World Cup ticket on the line.
Four teams in each of the first three groups will play in the knockout semi-finals (March 24-25), followed by a knockout final (March 28-29). Only the winner of the final will go to Qatar.
The draw to determine the group of four will take place on November 26. Eight of the 12 playoff teams are known with the rest of the pitch determined on Wednesday, November 16. Portugal’s Ronaldo is currently the top-ranked team in the knockout stage (listed below in alphabetical order):
| Nation | FIFA Ranking | How qualified? | World Cup app | Title |
| Shirt | 32 | Nations League | 7 of 21 | – |
| Czech Republic | thirty first | Monday – Grp. E / Nations League | 1 in 6 (as Representative of the Czech Republic) |
– |
| North Macedonia | 74 | Monday – Grp. NS | 0 out of 7 (like Macedonia) |
– |
| Portugal | 8 | Monday – Grp. ONE | 7 of 21 | – |
| Russia | 33 | Monday – Grp. NS | 4 out of 7 (like Russia) |
– |
| Scotland | 42 | Monday – Grp. NS | 8 of 21 | – |
| Sweden | 17 | Monday – Grp. NS | 12 of 21 | – |
| Wales | 19 | Monday – Grp. E / Nations League | 1 of 21 | – |
| TBD | Monday – Grp. NS | |||
| TBD | Monday – Grp. NS | |||
| TBD | Monday – Grp. NS | |||
| TBD | Monday – Grp. I |
Portugal last qualified for the 2014 World Cup in the knockout stages. That European playoff format is based on a two-match series in which Portugal overcame Sweden in an epic showdown between Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. That confrontation could take place again in the knockout round for the 2022 edition.
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Ronaldo is trying to qualify for his fifth World Cup, after qualifying for the fourth round with Portugal. His nation appears to be going all the way to first place in Group A, only to the Republic of Ireland 0-0 on Thursday and then lose to Serbia at home on Sunday to close the round.
After a 0-0 draw in Dublin, Ronaldo felt the need to assure Portugal fans that qualifying would take place at home in the final match. “On Sunday, in front of our fans at home, we’ll make reservations for the Qatar World Cup,” read the last line (translated from Portuguese) in the Instagram post to its 366 million followers his.
