Portugal head coach Fernando Santos described striker Cristiano Ronaldo’s emotions after the team was unable to advance directly to the 2022 World Cup. His words are quoted by Record.
“The disappointment was terrible. When he passed Ronaldo, he said to the Serbian player: “If my goal had not been canceled, you wouldn’t be laughing now,” said Santos about the athlete’s reaction. He stressed that he tried to calm the player down, after which he supported the rest of the players.
After losing the final match of the 2022 World Cup qualifier against Serbia, Ronaldo burst into tears. For the first time in his career, he did not strike a single shot on target during the qualifying match for the world championship.
The meeting between the national teams of Portugal and Serbia took place on Sunday, November 14. Ronaldo’s team lost with a score of 1: 2 and took second place in the group, losing to their opponent a direct ticket to the world championship. The Portuguese will have to fight for the World Cup in the play-offs.
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