Portugal sealed their place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a convincing 2-0 win against North Macedonia at the Estadio do Dragao, with Cristiano Ronaldo and co producing a professional performance from start to finish when the stakes were high.
Ronaldo didn't get his name on the scoresheet as his Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes emerged as the star of the show for Fernando Santos. Portugal welcomed the experienced Pepe back to the team and showed flashes of brilliance in the opening exchanges, but they needed a bit of help from the Macedonians for the opening goal of the game.
Fernandes scored from inside the box after Ronaldo provided a cheeky nutmeg assist for the goal, but the Seleccao were lent a helping hand by Macedonian skipper Stefan Ristovski, whose horrible backpass eventually led to the goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal keep their cool to see off North Macedonia
Portugal grew in stature as the game went on and added a second goal through Fernandes, who doubled his tally with a sensational first-time finish from inside the penalty area. The Manchester United midfielder produced the goods when it mattered most for Portugal and planted his shot onto the roof of the net after a brilliant pass from Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota.
Cristiano Ronaldo didn't get his name on the scoresheet, but the Portugal skipper led from the front and ensured his side saw off the game. After a 3-1 win against Turkey in the previous round, Portugal recorded another well-deserved win to seal World Cup qualification and will look to make an impact in Qatar later this year.
As for North Macedonia, their fairytale run came to an end, but they will take heart from a spirited showing, having denied Italy a place in the World Cup last week.
Cristiano Ronaldo will play his 10th successive major tournament for Portugal when he takes the field in Qatar, with the legendary attacker looking to make an impact on the grandest stage once again. On that note, here are some of the best tweets from what turned out to be a routine win for Portugal.