Anybody who can remember watching a World Cup that did not have Cristiano Ronaldo taking part in it would have to be well into their 20s by now. Those a little older might even remember vividly how leaderless his national team, Portugal, looked the last time they had to go to a World Cup without him.
That was way back in 2002, when two defeats in the group stage, to the USA and to South Korea, put the Portuguese on an early flight home, and one their key strikers, Joao Pinto into a four-match ban from all football for plunging his fist into the stomach of a referee.
Happily for Portuguese pride, a 17-year-old with magical gifts and a fierce will to win was shortly to make his senior debut with Sporting and, although the national team were not immune to losses of temper in the two decades that followed, they would be accompanied to every major tournament after 2002 armed with the footballer who has set peerless standards for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Ronaldo, 37 last month, is still doing it for Manchester United. He scored a hat-trick in his most recent Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur that needed a late goal from the veteran to secure a 3-2 win. He was doing it for Portugal on the opening weekend of the 2018 World Cup, when the last goal - in the 88th minute - of his hat-trick against Spain earned his team a 3-3 draw.
This week, Portugal present him with another challenge of brinkmanship. They are one of the 11 teams in the new-format play-offs that will determine the last three European places at Qatar 2022. He knows the drill but not the novel system.
In the Ronaldo era, Portugal have twice before faced play-offs to reach World Cups, but both the format and the opposition in 2009 and in 2013 looked kinder than the scenario facing Ronaldo’s team now.
Against Bosnia - for a place at the 2010 tournament - Portugal triumphed in the home and away legs without needing Ronaldo, who had an ankle injury at the time.
They played Sweden for a place at Brazil 2014, again over a conventional two legs, and won both matches. A Ronaldo goal sealed the home leg. He scored the second and third goals of a hat-trick in Solna after Sweden took the lead in the second leg - courtesy of a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic - as Portugal ran out 4-2 winners on aggregate.
The map for Path C of Uefa’s play-offs for Qatar 2022 is quirkier. First, there’s Thursday one-leg semi-final in Porto against Turkey. Win that and either Italy or North Macedonia, who meet each other in Sicily this week, will come to Portugal to face Ronaldo and what probably ranks as the best set of supporting forwards he has known through his 184-cap international career. They include an in-form Joao Felix, along with Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota and Bruno Fernandes.
That alone is a quartet of players who would enrich any World Cup. But Qatar 2022 can not accommodate every star. Across the various play-offs and last mini-league matches over the next 10 days, several notables will say farewell to their World Cup dream.
In Path B of the Uefa play-offs, where Poland meet either Sweden or the Czech Republic in the ‘final’, it will be either Robert Lewadowski or Ibrahimovic. And it may be both out, if the Czechs win their semi and then beat Poland, who are straight through to the final due to the suspension of Russia from all football competitions.
In South America, where there are two matchdays remaining, two qualifying spots and one intercontinental play-off berth are still open. Ecuador, third behind already-qualified Brazil and Argentina, will at the very least gain the play-off slot, if not better, which means at least one country from James Rodriguez’s Colombia, Alexis Sanchez’s Chile or the Uruguay of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani will not be in Qatar.
Africa’s brutal sort-out – five simple home-and-away duels to decide all the continent’s World Cup entrants – has either Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane making the cut, Egypt having drawn Senegal in what will be a repeat of last month’s Africa Cup of Nations final, won on penalties by Senegal.
No less highly-charged is the Ghana-Nigeria joust, while the 2017 African Champions, Cameroon, meet the 2019 Afcon winners, Riyad Mahrez’s Algeria, in a scenario that Ronaldo, for one, would recognise as uncomfortably stark. His Portugal were European champions in 2016. Italy became the European championship’s next holders last summer. Only one of them can make it to Qatar.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
Brief scoreline:
Burnley 3
Barnes 63', 70', Berg Gudmundsson 75'
Southampton 3
Man of the match
Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
