Brazil without Neymar and Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes qualified in their turn for the round of 16 of the Soccer World Cup on Monday, pocketing their ticket like France before the last day of the group stage. .
Portugal’s victorious match against Uruguay (2-0), beyond the qualification of the Seleçaowas also marked, for the first time since the start of the tournament, by the irruption on the lawn of a man wearing a rainbow flag and a T-shirt supporting both Ukraine and the cause women in Iran.
The man entered at 52e minute of play on the ground at the Lusail stadium, the biggest stadium in the competition where the final will be played on 18 December. He was intercepted by security guards and calmly escorted off the pitch. No information about him was immediately available.
On the ground, Portugal, carried by Bruno Fernandes, author of the two goals of the victory, took their revenge on the 2018 World Cup where Uruguay had shown them the exit in the round of 16.
With two wins from two games, Ronaldo’s teammates secured a place in the Top 16.
The five-time Ballon d’Or, 37 years old and without a club since the tumultuous termination of his contract with Manchester United, became the first player to have scored in five different World Cups against Ghana last week.
On Monday, he did not find his way to the nets, but his now ex-Mancunian team-mate Bruno Fernandes replaced him on a center shot (54e) then on a penalty shot at the very end of the match.
The Seleçao much was expected of the 28-year-old as Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, plays less and looks fit to carry Portugal. His overall performance against Uruguay bodes well for the rest of the competition.
In the other match of Group H, Ghana beat South Korea (3-2) after a stunning game.
The second qualifying pass of the group will be disputed on Friday, at 4 p.m., between the three other nations of the group, and more probably between Ghana (2e with 3 points) and Uruguay (1 point), who will face each other while Portugal will be able to rotate their squad against South Korea (also 1 point).
Neymar in the infirmary, Casemiro on appeal
At the end of the afternoon, Brazil, deprived of Neymar who continues to treat his ankle, had also validated his pass for the playoffs thanks to his victory against Switzerland (1-0).
A success that took time to materialize until Casemiro, a defensive midfielder often confined to obscure tasks, defeated the Swiss defense with a half-volley from the outside of the foot in the 83rd.e minute of play.
“It’s a match that is played on details,” analyzed the striker at the microphone of the Brazilian channel SporTV. “We knew we would have the ball and thank God we managed to score. I had the good fortune to score a great goal to help the team. »
Above all, his gesture saved Brazil the headache of a third trap match against Cameroon.
Neymar, he will be able to continue the treatment hoping to recover in time from the sprained right ankle suffered during the entry into the running against Serbia (2-0). The Brazilian is “working hard” with the hope of being restored for the rest of the competition, according to Marquinhos.
The other Group G pass will also be decided on Friday (8 p.m.). Switzerland (3 points) currently have the advantage over their next opponent, Serbia (1 point), and over Cameroon (1 point), who will challenge the Brazilians at the same time.