World Cup qualifying 2022: Can Ronaldo rescue Portugal?
By David Mosse
FOX Sports Soccer Researcher
In the past seven months, Cristiano Ronaldo has become the all-time top scorer in men’s international football and, depending on who’s counting, also the record-holder for club and country.
Nobody has found the back of the net more in the UEFA Champions League or at the European Championship.
Indeed, it’s that insatiable desire for records that seemingly keeps Ronaldo motivated at the age of 37. But one milestone that might prove beyond his grasp is becoming the first men’s player to score in five World Cups.
It’s difficult to score in a tournament if your team doesn’t qualify.
Portugal’s presence in Qatar is very much in doubt after they finished runners-up in their qualification group. Over the next few days, Ronaldo & Co. must win two win-or-go-home playoff matches to secure a berth, first against Turkey on Thursday and then potentially against Italy, should the Azzurri take care of business in their semifinal clash with North Macedonia.
The good news for Portugal is that both matches will be at home. But so was their previous qualifier, a 2-1 defeat to Serbia that left Fernando Santos’ men in their current predicament. A loss in either of the next two games would deprive the World Cup of stars such as Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo.
Yet no absence would be felt more — or dissected more intensely — than that of Ronaldo, whose failure to qualify, given the aforementioned supporting cast, would be a huge development.
Ronaldo has always lived something of a charmed life at the international level. Portugal don’t possess nearly the same pedigree as Argentina, so he has never dealt with the same expectations as Lionel Messi. Nobody demands that Ronaldo win a World Cup.
The closest he came was in his first attempt in 2006, when, as a 21-year-old, Ronaldo helped his country to a fourth-place finish. In the three World Cups since he became the team’s undisputed star, Portugal failed to advance beyond the round of 16, a disappointing return that has done little to damage Ronaldo's legacy.
In 2014, Portugal crashed out in the group stage, finishing behind Germany and the United States, yet on the strength of his exploits with Real Madrid, Ronaldo was still named FIFA’s World Player of the Year. It seems the successes with Portugal enhance his reputation, while the failures never detract.
But now, Portugal find themselves on the brink of disaster, in serious danger of missing out on a World Cup for the first time since 1998. Could Ronaldo let that happen on his watch, or will he deliver one more time to remind us all that his record-breaking days are far from over?
Other qualifying notes:
— Italy are under no less pressure than Portugal, as they face the specter of missing out on a second straight World Cup. The Azzurri were left to rue two Jorginho penalty misses that consigned them to a second-place finish in their qualification group behind Switzerland, and it remains to be seen who will step up to the spot if Roberto Mancini’s men earn a penalty in the next few days.
Jorginho will likely be on the field, forming a midfield trio with Marco Verratti and Nicolo Barella, while Giorgio Chiellini might be rested for Thursday’s clash with North Macedonia in hopes that he regains full fitness ahead of Tuesday’s final. Included in the attack will be Toronto FC-bound Lorenzo Insigne, who would love to have a World Cup to look forward to at the conclusion of his debut MLS campaign.
— Sweden will be without the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Thursday’s semifinal meeting with the Czech Republic in Solna. Ibrahimovic's absence places the spotlight upfront on Alexander Isak, whose exploits with Real Sociedad the past couple of seasons have seen him linked with a summer move to Arsenal. The 22-year-old will be counting on service from Emil Forsberg and Dejan Kulusevski.
After reaching the quarterfinals of the previous World Cup, the Swedes would be disappointed to miss out this time, while the Czechs hope to display the same form that helped them reach the quarterfinals of the previous Euros. The absence of Patrik Schick due to a calf injury represents a significant blow. They could use a big performance from West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek.
— Poland await the winner between Sweden and the Czech Republic after Russia’s expulsion from the World Cup meant Poland received automatic passage to the final of their bracket. The Poles, who are seeking to reach their second straight World Cup, will be active Thursday in a friendly against Scotland, which had their own semifinal against Ukraine postponed until June.
— The good news for Poland, beyond the fact that Tuesday’s decider will be at home, is that even by his lofty standards, Robert Lewandowski finds himself in devastating form. The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year scored six times in Bayern Munich’s previous three games. Arkadiusz Milik is knocking in the goals for Marseille, and the squad also includes New England Revolution striker Adam Buksa.
— Wales hold the distinction of being the first country to concede a World Cup goal to Pele, as the 17-year-old bagged Brazil’s winner in a quarterfinal victory back in 1958. That remains the last World Cup match played by the Welsh, a drought they’re desperate to end this year, and the next step is getting past Austria in Thursday’s semifinal showdown in Cardiff.
Gareth Bale has played so sparingly this season that it’s easy to forget this matchup pits him against a Real Madrid teammate in David Alaba. Bale has done much to elevate his nation in recent years, including spearheading that semifinal run at Euro 2016, but he’s in danger of suffering the same fate as other Welsh stars, such as Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Ryan Giggs, who never graced the World Cup stage.
David Mosse is a soccer researcher and writer for FOX Sports. He has covered multiple FIFA World Cups, and he also is the co-host of Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast.
