Portugal tops Turkey to keep World Cup hopes alive

PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal moved a big step closer to the World Cup with a hard-fought 3-1 home win over Turkey in the playoffs of European qualifying on Thursday.

Portugal opened a two-goal lead in the first half but only salvaged the victory after Turkey missed an 85th-minute penalty kick at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto that would have leveled it at 2-2. Portugal’s third goal came in stoppage time.

Ronaldo’s 10th straight appearance at a major tournament will now come down to a winner-takes-all game against North Macedonia, which earned a stunning 1-0 win at Italy to end the European Champion’s hopes of making it to the World Cup. The game against North Macedonia will be on Tuesday in Portugal.

Ronaldo’s 10th straight appearance at a major tournament will now come down to a winner-takes-all game against either European champion Italy or North Macedonia, which were facing each other in Italy on Thursday.

Portugal was in the playoffs after a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Serbia at home in the final Group A game in November, when it opened the scoring but conceded the deciding goal in the 90th. A draw would have been enough for the hosts to qualify as group winner.

Ronaldo has played in soccer’s showcase event four straight times. He also played in four consecutive European Championships, winning the title in 2016.

Ronaldo is the only player to have scored at least once in the finals of nine top tournaments in a row, a streak that started at Euro 2004 in Portugal.

Portugal is trying to qualify for the World Cup for the sixth straight time.

Otávio opened the scoring in the 15th off the rebound of a shot by Bernardo Silva onto the post, and Diogo Jota added to the lead with a header in the 42nd after an assist by Otávio.

Burak Yılmaz pulled Turkey closer with a goal from inside the area in the 65th, but the national team’s second highest all-time scorer missed a chance to equalize when his shot from the penalty spot went over the crossbar. A video review had awarded the penalty for a foul by José Fonte on Enes Unal.

Portugal sealed the victory with substitute Matheus Nunes scoring on a breakaway four minutes into stoppage time.

The Turkish side, which was second to the Netherlands in its qualifying group, was trying to make it to the World Cup for the third time after appearances in 1954 and 2002, when it finished third after losing to eventual champion Brazil in the semifinals.

Turkey’s last major achievement was making it to the semifinals of Euro 2008, when it lost to Portugal in the group stage.

Failure to qualify for Portugal could mean the end of the line with the national team for coach Fernando Santos and veteran players Pepe, Fonte and João Moutinho, who are all 35 or older.

Pepe was one of the key absences for Portugal after testing positive for the coronavirus this week. The team’s other regular-starting central defender, Rúben Dias, couldn’t play because of an injury. João Cancelo was suspended, and Anthony Lopes, Nelson Semedo, Renato Sanches and Rúben Neves also weren’t available because of injuries.