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PORTO, Portugal : North Macedonia's surprise win away to Italy in their World Cup playoff semi-final last week set up an unexpected clash against Portugal with the country's Prime Minister offering the squad 500,000 euros ($549,300.00) if they reach the 2022 tournament.
Portugal's World Cup play-off against North Macedonia on Tuesday is a "matter of life and death", said Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the game.
North Macedonia’s football players attend a training session in Skopje on March 26, 2022. – North Macedonia will face Portugal in their FIFA World Cup 2022 qualification playoff soccer match on March 29, 2022. (Photo by Robert ATANASOVSKI / AFP)
Cristiano Ronaldo could not hide his excitement at defender Pepe returning to the Portugal squad as the former European champions prepare to face North Macedonia in a crucial 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off.
Ronaldo is excited about the return of experienced defender Pepe to the Portugal squad after he missed Thursday's 3-1 win over Turkey due to COVID-19. "The king is back! Pepe is back in the house! Look out!" a smiling Ronaldo shouted before Portugal's training session on a warm and sunny Sunday morning in Porto as the 39-year-old defender emerged from the dressing room. They laughed and hugged before beginning the warm-up side by side, in the penultimate training session before the World Cup qualifying playoff against North Macedonia on Tuesday for a place in this year's tournament in Qatar.
Italy’s coach Roberto Mancini reacts at the end of the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off football match between Italy and North Macedonia, on March 24, 2022 at the Renzo-Barbera stadium in Palermo. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has labelled Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup after losing to North Macedonia a ‘disaster’.