Dark days are ahead of Portugal as their appearance at the Qatar World Cup 2022 now hangs in balance. The team lost their crucial qualifying match against Serbia yesterday, denting their hopes of automatic qualification. Hence, Cristiano Ronaldo would now face playoff teams to qualify for what might possibly be his last World Cup.

Despite going ahead in the game after Renato Sanches put them in front, Dusan Tadic and Mitrovic scored goals to help them reach Qatar. Now, the onus is on Ronaldo and Portugal to book their seats via the playoffs.

How can Portugal qualify?

Following their defeat last night, Portugal will now face the risk of being eliminated from the prestigious tournament next year.

The 10 group winners will have an automatic ticket to the World Cup. In the meantime, the 10 runner-ups in the group will compete in a playoff tournament with three places up for grabs. Moreover, the two best teams from the UEFA Nations League, who either didn’t finish first or second, will compete in the playoffs.

The 12 teams would be separated into three brackets where each team would play a semi-final and a final match. The winners of those three groups would reach Qatar to compete in the World Cup.

Thus, Portugal’s hopes of reaching the tournament will be key as Ronaldo risks qualification for his last World Cup.

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What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal?

The road ahead is far from straightforward for the Portuguese. Along with Portugal, Sweden, Scotland, Russia, Austria, and either Czech Republic or Wales, would be present in the tournament.

In addition, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, Ukraine, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, England, and Turkey are some of the major teams yet to receive automatic qualification to Qatar. This makes things difficult for Ronaldo and co. to maneuver their way to the finals.

As of now, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Serbia, and Spain have booked their tickets to Qatar. However, Ronaldo’s appearance at the World Cup still hangs in balance.

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