Cristiano Ronaldo insists Portugal will not underestimate giant-killers North Macedonia in their World Cup play-off final tonight.
Currently ranked 67th in the world by FIFA, North Macedonia shocked Italy last week by beating the European champions 1-0 in their semi-final.
Now they must try and defeat Portugal, who beat Turkey 3-1 to reach the final, in their own backyard tonight.
Ronaldo, who will be 41 by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around, has described the match as “a matter of life and death”, and vowed that he and his team-mates will not take their opponents lightly.
“We were surprised,” said Ronaldo, when asked about North Macedonia beating Italy. “North Macedonia has surprised in many matches. But I don’t think they will surprise us. Portugal will play better and we will make it to the World Cup.
“For us, this game is a matter of life and death. There is a responsibility to win this game. For us, it is also a game of our lives.
“We know that if we win we will go to the World Cup and if we lose we are out. We have the responsibility to be positive and win the match.”
Given he is now 37, it has been speculated that Ronaldo could retire from international football if Portugal suffer defeat tonight.
But the Manchester United forward said: “The one who will decide my future is me. If I want to play more, I play. If I don’t want to, I don’t play.”
