2 years ago
Cristiano Ronaldo has sent out a message following Portugal's World Cup Qualifier victory against Turkey, which puts them one step closer to securing a place in Qatar.
Fernando Santos' men were up against tough opposition on the night, but Otavio's strike put them up in the 15th minute.
In the 42nd minute, Liverpool's Diogo Jota doubled Portugal's lead, putting the tie out of reach.
With 25 minutes left on the clock, Burak Yilmaz equalized for Turkey, bringing the game to a tight conclusion.
When the away team was granted a penalty in the waning minutes of the game, the 36-year-old had a wonderful opportunity.
Fernando Santos' men were up against tough opposition on the night, but Otavio's strike put them up in the 15th minute.
Diogo Jota, a Liverpool midfielder, then doubled the advantage in the 42nd minute to put Portugal in command.
However, the Lille striker missed his spot shot, and Matheus Nunes scored in stoppage time to put the tie out of Turkey's reach.
After the loss, Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo made a rallying appeal to his team and fans.
Manchester United's star forward stated that the club has accomplished the first step in achieving their ultimate goal, winning the World Cup.
He did, however, advise the team to stay focused, respect their opponents, and have faith in their talents because there is still work to be done before they can secure their spot in Qatar.
"The first step toward our lofty goal of hosting the 2022 World Cup has been taken.
Nothing is earned or accomplished.
We must continue to work hard and concentrate, respecting our opponents while remaining confident in our own strengths.
Portugal is invincible!
Visit Qatar!"
(This is a translation from Portuguese.)
On March 30th, Ronaldo and his teammates will face North Macedonia in the World Cup Qualifier final.
North Macedonia will pose a threat to Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.
In the vital game against North Macedonia next week, Portugal must remain focused and respect North Macedonia, as Cristiano Ronaldo highlighted in his message following the win over Turkey
Igor Angelovski's team caused a significant upset by knocking European Champions Italy out of contention for a place in Qatar.
North Macedonia won the match in the 92nd minute, thanks to Aleksandar Trajkovski's superb shot from outside the box, after surviving the storm from Roberto Mancini's team.
Italy has now failed to qualify for two World Cups in a row as a result of the defeat.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will have to be on their toes against North Macedonia, who were able to withstand all of Italy's onslaught and score a game-winning goal in the dying minutes.
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