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.
This story is from the November 20, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 20, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
