THE INSIDE VIEW

What the Portuguese think about their coach, their talisman and their team's chances

- RINOL JOB

There was relief inside the Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, in the 83rd minute of the final match of Portugal's World Cup qualifying group. The home team needed a draw to secure direct qualification and Serbian marksman Aleksandar Mitrović had just headed wide at 1-1. However, the relief lasted only seven minutes. Just before the final whistle, Mitrović buried a header into the Portuguese goal, clinched Serbia's World Cup berth and sent Portugal into the playoffs.

Four months later, Portugal booked its Doha tickets at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto with a brace against North Macedonia—which beat Italy, keeping it out of the World Cup for the second consecutive time. The 22nd edition of the World Cup will only be Portugal's eighth appearance. The team first qualified in 1966, and, inspired by the heroics of Eusébio, finished third—its best finish to date. It then had to wait 20 years for its second appearance, and, then, another 16 for its third.

But, the golden generation, led by Luís Figo and Rui Costa, had elevated Portuguese football in the 1990s. The decade ended with a semifinals appearance at Euro 2000. This was followed by a return to the World Cup in 2002, second place at Euro 2004 and fourth place at the 2006 World Cup. By the time the golden generation signed off, Cristiano Ronaldo had arrived. Portugal has not missed a major tournament since the turn of the millennium.