Serbia fought back to claim a 2-1 win over Portugal in their Group-A qualifying match at the Estadio da Luz. The victory was sealed by a dramatic late strike from Aleksandar Mitrovic, which dealt a significant blow to Cristiano Ronaldo's hopes of reaching the 2022 World Cup. With this comeback win, Serbia officially booked their ticket to Qatar. Portugal only required a draw to qualify directly and looked comfortable for most of the game, until Mitrovic's header in the 90th minute silenced the stadium.
Both sides entered the match tied at 17 points in Group-A, with Portugal sitting atop the table thanks to a superior goal difference. The stakes were clear: Serbia had to win, whereas Portugal just needed to keep the game level. Despite controlling the match and maintaining a draw until the 89th minute, Ronaldo's team couldn't close it out. This defeat also snapped a long-running streak of home wins in World Cup qualifiers dating back to October 2013.
Portugal got off to a flying start, scoring in the 2nd minute. After Bernardo Silva stole possession from Nemanja Gudelj in a dangerous spot, he provided a precise pass to Renato Sanches. Sanches then fired a powerful right-footed shot from 15 meters that beat keeper Predrag Rajkovic. Although the Serbian side argued that Silva had committed a foul, the goal was upheld following a VAR check.
Serbia didn't give up, pressing forward and creating several opportunities to get back into the game. Their persistence paid off in the 33rd minute when Dusan Tadic struck a long-range shot that took a deflection, wrong-footing Rui Patricio and hitting the back of the net. The teams went into the halftime break locked at 1-1.
The second half saw the introduction of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who had started on the bench. Serbia took control of the game, dominating possession and playing with greater precision. For a long time, the Portuguese defense held firm, denying the Serbian attackers any clear openings. However, their focus wavered in the final moments of the match.
Tadic delivered a perfect cross to Mitrovic, who rose to head the ball home for the winning goal. The strike instantly quieted the home crowd and sparked wild celebrations among the Serbian bench, while the Portuguese players could only watch in disbelief.
With this historic victory, Serbia finished as Group-A winners with 20 points, pushing Portugal into second place with 17. This means Portugal will not qualify automatically and must now fight through the playoffs against nine other runners-up for a chance to go to Qatar 2022.