English referee Anthony Taylor had just blown the whistle when Portugal coach Fernando Santos raised his arms and made a victory sign with his index and middle fingers. From the loudspeakers of the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, the first chords of the exceptionally beautiful – and terribly warlike – Portuguese anthem roared, calling the “brave and immortal nation” to arms.
“Às aaaaarmas, às aaaaarmas…” the crowd sobbed, and the noise level alone promised that there was no doubt about the burden that had fallen from the 48,000 people in the stadium and probably also from eleven million Portuguese. Portugal didn’t show any weaknesses in an unadorned game against North Macedonia, but won 2-0 with two goals from Manchester United regular Bruno Fernandes (32’/65′). The whole squad gathered in the center circle, waving a giant national flag, and a thought formed in Santos’ mind to a phrase he would soon speak into a microphone: “I dream of becoming world champion.”
What should one expect less? Under his aegis, Portugal became European champions in 2016 and in the summer of 2019 – which by the way is extremely important to him – also won the Nations League. Yes, they had to go through that World Cup playoff grind because they ended up behind Serbia in the group stage. But: They survived the knockout games. Who could know that better than the Italians, who left mankind a great riddle, it is: How can one fail because of these self-sacrificing and brave, but also limited North Macedonians?
“We’re where we belong!” Cristiano Ronaldo, the 37-year-old captain wrote on social media as he posted a winning photo and his apodictic sentence from the day before came true. “There is no World Cup without Portugal!” he had tinted. And lo and behold: He is now facing the fifth World Cup appearance of his career. Like the Argentinian Lionel Messi, who can also draw level with the German Lothar Matthäus, the Mexican Antonio Carbajal and the Italian Gigi Buffon (even if he didn’t play in 1998) in these statistics.
Who knows what else this cure is useful for in a fluid called humility that the Portuguese had to take; the drop was higher for them than the bridges over the Douro, the obituaries already prepared. On match day Fernando Santos had to be in the newspaper Publico read that in the event of defeat, he would end his mandate as a “scoundrel”. On Wednesday, the same newspaper said that he “didn’t even need luck” as usual.
On Tuesday evening, Santos, 67, was probably sitting so relaxed in the press room because a little satisfaction had flowed through his body. In the past four months he has “respected the criticism and analysis that you are entitled to,” he said to journalists. “But I’m entitled to have a clear conscience, to look in the mirror and see what I’m doing well and what I’m not doing well. That’s my job.” And he had finished her.
Indeed, his team displayed a number of virtues that one can do something with: the ability to suffer and overcome adversity, will and focus. President Marcelo Rebelo Sousa, who was present in the stadium, ran through the mixed zone and took everything pars pro toto: “We Portuguese are like that. In the crucial moments we know an answer.”
Even if Ronaldo didn’t win the World Cup, his ego would come back from Qatar well-fed
It remains to be seen whether this is true in every respect. But the Portuguese do have a brilliant squad. What Danilo and the already 39-year-old Pepe cleared away in central defense is of granite-like solidity; the two full-backs, Nelson Semedo and João Cancelo, made good runs and kept an eye on their backs; and the many – latent or explicit – offensive forces such as Moutinho, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota, Otávio are of such quality that the dazzling reservist João Félix was not really missed.
And goalkeeper Diogo Costa? Wasn’t checked by the Macedonians, control of the game “was total”, said coach Santos. But the question remained whether the aging Ronaldo is really necessary. Even though he was instrumental in the Portuguese’s first goal with a one-two with Bruno Fernandes.
Portugal is a possible opponent of Germany in the group stage
But even if he weren’t world champion, Ronaldo’s ego would return from Qatar well fed. A goal there – and Ronaldo would be the first player in history to score in five different finals, ahead of the likes of Brazil’s Pelé or Germany’s Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose. And the world record for international matches is not far off. He is third with 186 games, behind Bader Al-Mutawa (Kuwait/191) and Soh Chin Ann (Malaysia/195).
Portugal will be one of the eight seeded teams on Friday – and is therefore a possible preliminary round opponent of the DFB team, who only made it into the second pot. “We all have a dream that we would like to fulfill: me, the team, all Portuguese,” said coach Santos. Why is this dream more realistic than four years ago? “Because of this team, because of these players, because of their skills, because we’ve already shown in two tournaments that we can win…” he growled. “We have the right to dream. And we will chase that dream.”