European Championship qualification
A surprise team and three top nations hold the maximum number of points halfway through qualifying for the EM 2024 in Germany. Unexpectedly, Scotland (Group A) goes into the summer break with four wins from four games, as do vice world champions France (B), vice European champions England (C) and Portugal (J). For the Portuguese on Tuesday, everything revolved around Cristiano Ronaldo, who became the first player to join the 200 club.
21.06.2023 19.37
Online since today, 7.37 p.m
The 38-year-old played his 200th international match in Reykjavik and crowned his anniversary match with the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Iceland. “I’m so happy to have won 200 caps and of course it’s even more special to score the winning goal,” Ronaldo said after scoring his 123rd international goal.
The superstar was fairly inconspicuous in his anniversary game, but was there in the 89th minute from close range. Ronaldo and his colleagues then had to wait two minutes before the VAR gave the okay and the Portuguese could celebrate their record man. “We didn’t play that well, but sometimes football is like that. But we scored a goal and deserved it,” said Ronaldo.
IMAGO/Sportsphoto/Allstar Picture Library Ltd Almost 20 years after his debut on August 20, 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo made his 200th game for Portugal’s senior team
“It was a beautiful script (for Ronaldo),” said team boss Roberto Martinez, highlighting his star’s historic performance. “There was an unbelievable jubilation, the first player ever in world football to have won 200 caps. It requires a lot of commitment. A role model for Portuguese football, for the country of Portugal and for world football,” he said.
Scotland ‘damn close’ to qualifying
Much later, Scotland followed suit with their fourth win. The home game against Georgia had to be interrupted for more than an hour due to heavy rain in Glasgow when Callum McGregor (6th) was 1-0 before the game could be continued and Scott McTominay (47th) fixed the 2-0 final score . “It was a crazy night,” said midfielder Billy Gilmour.
Scotland had qualified for a European Championship finals for the first time in 25 years in 2021 and are now about to participate again. The lead over Georgia and Norway is eight points, Spain follows with three points, but only two games. “I said six points isn’t enough to qualify and I don’t think twelve points are enough either. But we’re damn close to the number of points that qualifies us,” said coach Steve Clarke.