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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Euro 2020 champions Italy are both looking to book their place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, only one of these football powerhouses will be able to make it to the FIFA World Cup.
Only three more slots are available to teams from Europe for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next year. For one of those slots, a showdown between the two most recently crowned European champions is set to occur.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will first go up against Turkey, while Italy will face North Macedonia in the semi-finals of the play-offs. If Portugal and Italy manage to overcome their less-fancied opposition, they will both collide in the final of the Path C qualification route. The winner of the final will gain immediate qualification to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, while the losers are out.
Italy boss Roberto Mancini has said:
"It's a very difficult draw for us, because North Macedonia is a good team and, if we win, we have to play away to Turkey or Portugal in the final. It's very strong."
The Portuguese contingent haven’t commented on the draw yet. But they can boast of Cristiano Ronaldo's goalscoring prowess and a fantastic star-studded squad to support the maestro.
Both the Portuguese and Italians will be hoping to qualify for the tournament in Qatar. The qualifiers are bound to provide amazing performances from both sides.
Cristiano Ronaldo and a host of world-class superstars could miss out on the FIFA World Cup
As the FIFA World Cup draws nearer, Cristiano Ronaldo could potentially miss out on what could be his last chance at the World Cup trophy. However, the Portuguese maestro isn't the only superstar who is in danger of missing out on Qatar next year.
Germany, Brazil, France, Spain and a host of others have marked their spot in the prestigious event next year. But stars from unqualified countries will have to watch from the stands.
Norway's Erling Haaland, Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Slovenia's Jan Oblak are set to miss out on the FIFA World Cup. Liverpool's Naby Keita and Inter defender Milan Skriniar are both out as well, with the elimination of their respective countries.
Jorginho, David Alaba, Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suarez and Mohamed Salah all join Cristiano Ronaldo in the red zone. Their respective countries could potentially miss out on the FIFA World Cup if they fail to qualify through the impending playoffs.
