World Cup playoffs NOW in the live ticker: will superstar Ronaldo miss his last world cup?

Created: 03/24/2022Updated: 03/24/2022, 21:00

By: Jonas Raab

For Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, a defeat against Turkey in the playoff semifinals today would mean that he will not be able to take part in what will probably be his last World Cup in Qatar.

© Xinhua/imago

Tonight, top football nations and numerous superstars will have their last chance of participating in the World Cup in Qatar.

You won't miss a goal in the live ticker!

• The playoff semi-finals of the World Cup qualification are scheduled for today, Thursday.

  It starts at 8.45 p.m.

• Among other things, European champions Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Austria are still trembling about participating in the World Cup in Qatar*.

• The dream of the world championship could also burst for numerous superstars today.

>>UPDATE<<

Sweden – Czech Republic, 11 minutes:

The ball wriggles in the Czech goal.

But the referee blows his whistle quickly.

In the run-up there was a Swedish foul in the penalty area.

A subsequent goal check does not change that.

Portugal - Turkey, 9th minute:

Cristiano Ronaldo gets a free shot in the penalty area, but punches a hole in the ground and fires the ball into the stands.

Wales – Austria, 4th minute:

Austria again!

But this time not a buck, but a slat banger.

Baumgartner comes to the end quite freely after a pass from Bayern midfielder Sabitzer.

Wales – Austria, 2nd minute:

Real star David Alaba gives himself a little buck right at the beginning of the game.

Already at the weekend in "El Classico" against FC Barcelona he did not look the happiest.

But this time nothing happened.

WHISTLE!

The ball rolls in all four stadiums.

Who keeps the World Cup chance alive?

Update from March 24, 8:30 p.m .:

Another quarter of an hour, then it starts in Italy (against North Macedonia), Wales (against Austria), Sweden (against the Czech Republic) and Portugal (against Turkey).

The venues alone reveal: It's getting serious for big football nations - because whoever loses in today's World Cup playoff semifinals has finally lost the World Cup participation in Qatar.

World Cup playoffs: Italy vs North Macedonia - the line-up

Italy:

Donnarumma - Florenzi, Mancini, Bastoni, Emerson - Barella, Jorginho, Verratti - Berardi, Immobile, Insigne

North Macedonia:

Dimitrievski - Ristovski, Velkovski, Musliu, Alioski - Churlinov, Ademi, Bardhi, Nikolov - M. Ristovski, Trajkovski

World Cup playoffs: This is how Wales starts against Austria

Wales:

Hennessey - Ampadu, Rodon, Davies, Roberts - Wilson, Allen, Ramsey, Williams - James, Bale

Austria:

Lindner - Lainer, Hinteregger, Dragovic, Alaba - Laimer, Seiwald, Schlager, Baumgartner, Sabitzer - Arnautovic

World Cup playoffs: Sweden has to play against the Czech Republic - the line-up

Sweden:

Olsen - Danielson, Lindelöf, Nilsson, Martin Olsson - Claesson, Olsson, Ekdal, Forsberg - Kulusevski, Isak

Czech Republic:

Vaclik - Zima, Brabec, Holes, Sadilek - Barak, Soucek, Masopust, Hlozek, Jankto - Kuchta

World Cup playoffs: Portugal welcomes Turkey - this is how the teams play

Portugal:

Diogo Costa - Diogo Dalot, Danilo Pereira, Jose Fonte, Guerreiro - Joao Moutinho, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Otavio, Diogo Jota - Cristiano Ronaldo

Turkey:

Cakir - Kabak, Demiral, Söyüncü - Celik, Kutlu, Calhanoglu, Kokcü, Cengiz Ünder, Aktürkoglu - B. Yilmaz

First report:

Munich - It's getting serious!

The semi-finals of the World Cup playoffs* are scheduled for Thursday evening (March 24).

Eleven national teams – including European champions Italy and Ukraine – will be fighting for the last three European starting places at the World Cup in Qatar from 8.45 p.m.

Germany is already qualified*, but some top nations and superstars still have to tremble.

Who is in the World Cup Playoffs?

Wales receives Austria in Cardiff with real star David Alaba*.

The Swedes have to play against the Czech Republic in Solna.

European champions Italy meet underdogs North Macedonia in Palermo and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal welcome Turkey.

Actually, two more games would have taken place today.

FC Bayern* star striker Robert Lewandowski* would have had to play against Russia with his Polish national team, but the Putin team was disqualified due to the Ukraine war*.

The winner is therefore Poland.

The Ukraine would actually have been in action today, too.

The game against Scotland has been postponed to the summer for the time being.

World Cup playoffs today in the live ticker: This is the game mode for the last Qatar places

The game mode of the World Cup playoffs is a bit complicated: The ten runners-up in the preliminary round groups qualify – as well as the two best teams in the Nations League 2020/2021 who were not already in the top ten groups or the ten runners-up.

The semifinals will take place this Thursday (March 24th), the finals on March 29th.

The three final winners qualify for the World Cup finals.

There are three so-called playoff routes, each with four teams:

• Path A:

  Wales - Austria, Scotland - Ukraine (postponed)

• Path B:

  Sweden - Czech Republic, Russia - Poland (cancelled)

• Route C:

  Portugal - Turkey, Italy - North Macedonia.

Even before the semi-finals of the World Cup playoffs, one thing is clear: it will be bitter for some stars

Even before the semi-finals of the World Cup qualifying playoffs kick off, one thing is clear: many a superstar will have to watch the controversial Qatar World Cup on TV.

One of them is Sweden* superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

He could miss what will probably be his last World Cup.

The 40-year-old is sure that the adrenaline “that I feel on the field, I will never find anywhere else”.

The longing for a ticket for the World Cup in Qatar is all the greater.

And he's not alone in that.

Cristiano Ronaldo*, at the age of 37 also at an advanced age as a sportsman, is also still in the middle of the fight for the last three European places.

He knows that the path via coach Stefan Kuntz and Turkey* "will not be easy", but "together we will fight to get Portugal where it belongs".

Qatar playoffs in the live ticker: Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic fear for the last World Cup participation

In contrast to Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic is condemned to watch the match against the Czech Republic* because of a yellow card suspension.

Of course, he still has tips for young people.

"Enjoy it while I'm still on the field because you won't see anything like it again," he said in his usual humble way to his 19-year-old teammate Anthony Elanga at a press conference.

But Ibrahimovic is also clear that players like Elanga "are the future".

He was "here to help them get ahead".

Ibrahimovic could only do that again on the field in a possible final against Poland.

There he would meet Bayern star Robert Lewandowski, who at 33 is still significantly younger than the Swede.

Poland is already in one of the three finals,

In Wales*, hopes also rest on 32-year-old Gareth Bale.

For the Welsh it is against Austria * with the ex-Bayern defender David Alaba and the German coach Franco Foda to keep the dream of the first finals since 1958 alive.

How it would continue here after a possible final entry is currently unclear.

The duel between potential opponents Ukraine and Scotland has been postponed for the time being and could only be played in June - if at all.

World Cup playoffs today in the live ticker: who has to stay at home?

Portugal or European champions Italy?

In the ranks of European champions Italy*, Giorgio Chiellini (37 years) and Leonardo Bonucci (34 years) are still trembling for a World Cup ticket before the game against North Macedonia.

Given the explosive constellation, it is already clear that Portugal* or Italy – and maybe even both teams – could miss the World Cup.

If the European champions are not there, it would be the next final without the Italians after the 2018 World Cup.

However, no one seems to believe that at the Azzurri.

On the contrary.

"We want to be world champions," said national coach Roberto Mancini.