Portugal 2 North Macedonia 0: Cristiano Ronaldo qualifies for FIFTH World Cup as Bruno Fernandes scores playoff double
CRISTIANO RONALDO has one last shot at World Cup glory and football immortality after Portugal saw off North Macedonia to book their place in Qatar.
The World Cup remains the only competition Ronaldo has played in yet failed to win.
But now, after North Macedonia’s fairytale run ended in Porto, the Manchester United star’s dream remains alive and kicking.
In some link up straight from Old Trafford, Ronaldo teed up Red Devils pal Bruno Fernandes for a first-half opener.
And Fernades bagged his brace with 25 minutes remaining to become the hero and upstage the five-time Ballon d’Or winner on the night.
At 37, this winter’s showpiece will be Ronaldo’s fifth, and surely last, World Cup.
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He will always have the 2016 Euros, yes. But for someone so hell-bent on winning it all to prove he is the greatest of all time, it will grate for life if his trophy-laden career ends without the biggest trophy of all.
Diego Maradona and Pele managed it, leaving Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing catch up.
The two modern day icons will both be on show in the Gulf, determined to out-do the other on the grandest stage one last time.
And while Portugal took the treacherous play-off route to get there, you know full well they are going to take some beating.
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North Macedonia sent shockwaves through football when they KO’d Italy in the semis last week.
But the dream never looked like extending here, with the Balkan giant-killers failing to muster a single shot on target.
They may not have done the rest of the world another huge favour by seeing off Portugal too, but that night in Palermo last Thursday will not be forgotten in a hurry back home.
The hosts’ Prem big guns – Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota and Joao Cancelo – all started at the Dragao Stadium.
In the build-up, Ronaldo ordered all hell to break loose in the stands.
He wanted the music muted for their national anthem, so the fans could fire themselves up by belting it out acapella.
On this occasion he didn’t get his wish, but it didn’t diminish from the red-hot atmosphere.
But if North Macedonia coach Blagoja Milevksi feared a tired, after the Lord Mayor’s show opening, he shouldn’t have.
The world’s 67th-ranked side enjoyed a stress-free start, giving as good as they got.
Portugal soon took charge though and Ronaldo had their first big chance 14 minutes in after being played in by Jota, but the talisman dragged wide off his left peg before burying his head in his hands.
Jota, a deceptive menace in the air, then had a free header from Fernandes’ corner yet nodded into the turf and over from eight yards.
But North Macedonia eventually buckled 32 minutes in – thanks to a horror cross-field path by Stefan Ristovski.
Intercepted by Fernandes, Ronaldo then took over before nutmegging a defender to set up his United team-mate to hammer low into the corner.
With this having the potential to be the biggest banana skin of all, the whole of Portugal breathed a huge sigh of relief with one foot in Qatar.
For all North Macedonia are dogged and resolute they are not free scorers, so another would surely clinch it.
Jota had the best opportunity to double the lead before the break but could only fire into the side-netting after taking advantage of panic in the visitors’ ranks.
A 1-0 deficit at half-time was no disaster for the visitors, knowing their chance would surely come if they kept it that way.
But just as they started to look a threat, Portugal struck on the counter to leave them on the brink of qualification.
Defender Pepe robbed it to stop a North Macedonia attack, with Fernandes picking it up and giving it before haring forward.
Jota had all the time in the world on the left to loft a ball in, perfectly picking out Fernandes in the middle to finish first time.
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Portugal last failed to qualify for the World Cup finals in 1998.
It would have been a national disaster if they tripped up here, but now they are at the party, you can bet Ronaldo is going to have a say one way or another when it gets into full swing in eight months’ time.