About a year ago, countries started the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in anticipation of qualifying for the biggest quadrennial soccer event, and in late March, the European qualifiers kicked off.
European qualifiers are divided into ten groups (Group stage), each group has five national teams, each team will play eight games (with the same group of countries are playing two games), the first of the ten groups to advance directly to the World Cup, while the second of the ten groups of teams and the two teams from the UEFA Nations League (UEFA Nations League) will play a play-off. The play-offs will be divided into three groups, each with its own grouping. The play-offs are divided into three groups of four teams each, with a single-elimination system, and the three teams that finish first in their groups will also get a ticket to the WC, in the famous 12 out of 12 tie-break.
The teams in Group Stage A are Azerbaijan, Ireland, Luxembourg, Serbia and Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo.
On Mar.28.2021, Matchday 2 of 10, Serbia and Portugal, two of the strongest teams in Group A, faced off for the first time in the group stage at the Red Star Stadium. Portugal took the lead through Diogo Jota's second goals in the first half in the 11th and 36th minutes but Serbia fought back in the second half with Aleksandar Mitrovi and Filip Kosti? Serbia fought back in the second half, with Aleksandar Mitrovi and Filip Kosti scoring twice in the 46th and 60th minutes respectively to level the match at 2-2 in the Portugal goal defended by Anthony Lopes.
At 2:49 of injury time (90:00), Portugal took a high kick to try and get a last chance to score before the end of the match. Cristiano Ronaldo shot the ball with his right foot as it was coming down, keeper Marko Dmitrovi? couldn't catch it and the ball rolled into the goal and went over the goal line before being kicked out of the goal by Stefan Mitrovi? The ball rolled into the goal and crossed the goal line before Stefan Mitrovi? kicked it out of the goal. However, as the European qualifiers did not use VAR replay or goal line technology, the referee's decision was the only one to decide whether or not a goal had been scored. The referee decided that the ball had not entered the goal in its entirety, ruled that the goal had been disallowed, and even gave a yellow card to Cristiano Ronaldo, who had protested against the goal, so the match ended in a draw and a controversy.
This game also influenced the fate of Serbia and Portugal. After all the Group Stage matches were completed, Serbia was top of the group with 6 wins, 2 draws (18 goals scored, 8 conceded), while Portugal was second with 5 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss (17 goals scored, 6 conceded). However, if Cristiano Ronaldo's goal had not been disallowed by the referee, both Serbia and Portugal would be at 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. However, if Cristiano Ronaldo's goal had not been disallowed by the referee, Serbia and Portugal would both have 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, and Portugal would have topped the group in terms of goal difference.
A wrong decision affects the entire Group Stage, which affects the whole situation, and makes Portugal have to go to the play-offs to accept the tough test of single-elimination system. Considering that Cristiano Ronaldo will be 37 years old at the time of the WEF 2022, it is very likely that this will be the last opportunity to participate in the WEF, which is very precious to the football world's number one man. It is a precious opportunity for the soccer great. However, the fact that they will have to play a play-off is already a fact of life, and Portugal will have to fight on with a sense of resignation.
On March 25, Portugal, playing at home in Estádio do Dragão, defeated Turkey 3-1 in the first leg of the play-offs to move within one game of the WFC, where they faced the winner of the match between North Macedonia, ranked 67th in the FIFA World Rankings, and Italy, winners of the 2020 UEFA European Championship and ranked 6th in the FIFA World Rankings. They face the winner of the match between FIFA World No. 67 North Macedonia and 2020 UEFA European Championship winners and FIFA World No. 6 Italy.
Unexpectedly, North Macedonia kept their chances of qualifying for the WFC alive with a 1-0 victory over powerhouse Italy, who were playing at home in the Stadio Renzo Barbera, by virtue of Aleksandar Trajkovski's 90+2' injury time strike.
