Reigning European champions Italy are to miss a second straight FIFA World Cup finals after losing to a dramatic stoppage-time goal against North Macedonia on Thursday, but Portugal, Wales and Sweden all made it through to qualifying playoff deciders.
Four-time World Cup winners Italy were stunned in Palermo as Aleksandar Trajkovski — who used to play in the Sicilian city — fired past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the second minute of stoppage-time to give North Macedonia an incredible 1-0 victory.
The Azzurri will again be absent from the World Cup in Qatar after also failing to qualify for the 2018 finals in Russia when they lost in a playoff to Sweden.
Photo: AFP
That was a traumatic experience for a nation that had previously been to every tournament since 1958, and this failure is all the more remarkable given that they were crowned European champions less than nine months ago.
That success for Roberto Mancini’s side came during a world record 37-game unbeaten run, but four draws in their final five qualifiers last year saw them finish second in their group to Switzerland, exposing them to the dangers of the playoffs.
“It’s hard to explain, it’s such a huge disappointment,” Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini told RAI. “We’ve made mistakes since September and we’ve paid for them. We’re distraught.”
North Macedonia, the Balkan nation of just 2 million people, held Italy to a draw in Turin in 2018 World Cup qualifying and beat Germany away in this campaign, before appearing at their debut European Championships last year.
“We won the Italian way against the Italians, a goal from just two shots,” North Macedonia coach Blagoja Milevski said.
They next go to Porto to face Portugal on Tuesday, after the Euro 2016 winners defeated Turkey 3-1 at the Estadio do Dragao, albeit only after Burak Yilmaz missed a crucial late penalty for the visitors.
The hosts were cruising thanks to first-half goals by Brazilian-born midfielder Otavio and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, but Turkey’s veteran skipper Yilmaz pulled a goal back in the 65th minute, setting up a tense finish.
Turkey were then awarded a late penalty when a foul on Enes Unal was detected following a video assistant referee review, but Yilmaz put the spot-kick over the bar and Matheus Nunes secured Portugal’s victory in stoppage-time.
Turkey have not appeared at the World Cup finals since coming third in Japan and South Korea in 2002.
Portugal have not missed out on the tournament since 1998 and, at 37, Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream of World Cup glory remains alive.
Meanwhile, Gareth Bale was in inspirational form as his brace secured a 2-1 win for Wales against Austria in Cardiff.
Bale has only played five times for Real Madrid this season, and just twice since August last year, but the Wales captain started at the Cardiff City Stadium and opened the scoring with a stunning 25th-minute free-kick.
He then struck again, with a superb hit across goalkeeper Heinz Lindner into the far corner, to double the lead six minutes after halftime.
Wales, bidding to qualify for their first World Cup finals since 1958, then held on after Austria reduced the deficit in the 64th minute when Marcel Sabitzer’s shot deflected in off Ben Davies.
“I’ll run myself into the ground for this country, we all did tonight,” Bale, who came off right at the end with cramp, told Sky Sports.
Robert Page’s team will be at home in the playoff final, but must wait until at least June for that, with the ongoing war in Ukraine meaning their tie away to Scotland remains on hold.
Sweden set up a playoff final against Poland after an extra-time strike by Robin Quaison gave them a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in Solna.
Quarter-finalists in 2018, Sweden got their winner in the 110th minute as Saudi Arabia-based Quaison finished after a one-two with Alexander Isak.
Poland received a bye to the playoff final after would-be opponents Russia were suspended from all international competition following the invasion of Ukraine.
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