Varun Pai
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo breaks silence after failing to help Portugal seal automatic qualification to the World Cup
According to the player’s official Instagram account (h/t The Express), Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo guaranteed that Portugal shall qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The 36-year-old was called up as usual to captain his country in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. However, they hit a stumbling block in the first game itself as they drew against the Republic of Ireland.
Despite that stutter, the men in red needed to avoid defeat against Serbia in the last game. They even took an early, but Dusan Tadic and Aleksander Mitrovic completed the comeback for the Serbs.
The defeat meant that Portugal failed to seal automatic qualification to the 2022 World Cup. Ronaldo was deeply frustrated at full-time but has now claimed on his Instagram account that the country’s hopes remain alive.
“Football has shown us time and time again that sometimes the most difficult paths are the ones that lead us to the most desired outcomes. Yesterday’s result was tough but not tough enough to get us down.
“The goal of being in the 2022 World Cup is still very much alive, and we know what we have to do to get there. No excuses – Portugal is on its way to Qatar.”
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Fernando Santo’s men shall now have to undergo play-offs in March to seal qualification. However, Ronaldo is no stranger to these games, as he blew away Sweden during the 2014 World Cup play-offs.
Moreover, he still has the knack for scoring in big games, evidenced by his performances for Man United this season. Thus, Portugal may be down, but they are not out. However, the centre-forward shall now shift his focus to facing Watford on Saturday.
