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Portugal missed the chance to book their place at World Cup 2022 after losing 2-1 to Serbia in their final group game, with a late goal from Aleksandr Mitrovic sealing top spot in Group A for their opponents.
Cristiano Ronaldo has not missed a World Cup since making his international debut in 2003, appearing at four tournaments, but how can Portugal make sure he is on the plane to Qatar next year?
GOAL brings you everything you need to know.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo be at World Cup 2022?
Ronaldo will be at World Cup 2022 if Portugal qualify and he is fit when the tournament begins in November 2022. However, Portugal's place in Qatar is not yet secure.
Ronaldo, who is now 37 years of age, discussed his ambition to add the World Cup trophy to his glittering career CV in December 2020
"It will be tough, but we are a good team, a young team," he said. "We have a fantastic coach [Fernando Santos], so we’re very, very, very positive on that.
"As I told you many, many times, my dream is to win something for the Portugal national team and I won two titles, which is making me feel happy.
"I win [with] every club that I have played with, but the World Cup... it’s a dream. It’s a dream."
However, that dream will be much harder to realise now that Portugal have to navigate a World Cup play-off route.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo remains defiant and issued a rallying cry through social media ahead of their challenge.
"Total focus on the 2022 World Cup," he said in an Instagram post. "Proud, as always, to represent Portugal.
"We know that the path will not be easy, we have the utmost respect for the opponents we will face and who share the same goals as us. But together, we will fight to put Portugal in its rightful place. Let's do it!"
How can Portugal qualify for World Cup 2022?
Portugal must win in the World Cup qualification play-offs in order to qualify for Qatar 2022 after finishing second in their group behind Serbia.
They must first defeat Turkey in the play-off semi-final. Then they must clear another hurdle, with a winner-takes-all game against Italy or North Macedonia in the play-off final.
You can see where Portugal came in their qualifying group below.
Rank | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
1 | Serbia (Q) | 20 |
2 | Portugal (P) | 17 |
3 | Republic of Ireland | 9 |
4 | Luxembourg | 9 |
5 | Azerbaijan | 1 |
How to watch Portugal's World Cup 2022 qualifying play-off on TV & live stream
UK TV channel & online stream | U.S. TV channel & online stream |
|---|---|
Sky Sports Premier League / Sky Sports Football / Sky Sports Main Event / Sky GO | ESPN / TUDN |
Sky Sports broadcast the UEFA World Cup qualifiers in the United Kingdom and Portugal's games are available on the network. ESPN and TUDN hold the broadcasting rights to the European qualifiers in the United States.
Will Lionel Messi be at World Cup 2022?
Yes, Lionel Messi will be on the plane to Qatar with the rest of the Argentina squad next year, so long as he is fit and healthy.
Ronaldo's long-time rival played the full 90 minutes of his country's 0-0 draw with Brazil that ensured they have qualified from the CONMEBOL sector.
