Tough World Cup playoff draw for Seleção

Ever since the Seleção failed to win their World Cup qualifying group and were relegated into the playoffs, the overriding feeling was that avoiding Italy was paramount. 

But Portugal’s strange propensity to land the toughest possible draw struck again, as Fernando Santos’s team were placed in Path 3, as were Italy. 

To qualify for Qatar 2022 Portugal must beat Turkey at home, then the winner of the Italy-North Macedonia semi-final, also at home. 

The recent international break was more important than usual, because they were the final games in the group stages of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. A number of teams have already booked their place at the tournament, such as Brazil, Argentina, England, Spain, Netherlands, and host nation Qatar. Already fans will be looking for the odds and placing bets on who will be lifting the famous trophy next December. Will Lionel Messi finally win a World Cup? Can England bounce back from disappointment in Euro 2020? Will a smaller side surprise us all? It really has given the oddsmakers a lot to think about. 

Portugal are on track to compete at the 2022 UEFA European U17 Championship after qualifying for the elite round. José Lima’s side won two of their three games in the qualifying round at Estádio Algarve. 

Portugal beat Kazakhstan 5-0 in their opening match before a 2-0 win against Wales. They took the lead twice against Ukraine, but failed to close it out and suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat. 

The loss came at a cost with the Selecção das Quinas seeded in Pot C for the elite round. Portugoal’s Matthew Marshall was in the Algarve for the final two games and picks out three players to keep an eye on over the coming years.

The Euro 2020 tournament was a rather disappointing one for followers of the Portuguese national team. Many fans expected the Seleção to light up the delayed competition and blaze a trail of glory to the final in London. Despite heading into the summer’s event as defending champions, having won the trophy in 2016, Portugal failed to retain their crown. Italy beat England in the final at Wembley on penalties as the Portuguese players watched on enviously, haunted by thoughts of what could have been in the UK capital.

The following months have hardly lightened the mood, with Portugal struggling to regain form in the World Cup qualifiers and now facing playoff matches in March to make it to the Qatar World Cup. But the great thing about being a lover of the beautiful game is that tomorrow is a new day, a new beginning and results can quickly turn around.