Serbia players offered huge financial incentive to beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in crucial FIFA World Cup Qualifier - Reports
According to Cabine Desportiva, the Serbian football team are in for a massive reward if they beat Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal on Sunday. It is the final match of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers for both teams.
Serbia will directly qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar if they beat Portugal. Meanwhile, even a draw would be enough to take Cristiano Ronaldo and co. to the tournament.
If the stakes aren't high enough already, Serbian players have been handed some extra motivation before their match. They are set to receive a reward of €1 million if they beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and directly qualify for the World Cup.
Atenção, Portugal: Plantel da Sérvia irá ganhar no total 1 milhão de euros de prémio, se vencer Portugal.
Revelação do presidente da Sérvia aos jogadores no avião. Fez um acordo com o Governo. https://t.co/7BSiElxnpa
Reportedly, the president of the Serbian FA made this deal with the country's government. The players were made aware of this on their flight to Lisbon where the match is set to take place.
It is definitely a big motivation for the Serbian players. It will be interesting to see if they will be able to beat Cristiano Ronaldo and co. on Sunday to get their hands on the incentive or not.
Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal will face a stern test against Serbia for the 2022 World Cup Qualification
In their last match against Ireland, Portugal were held to a 0-0 draw. The only clear chance of the game was a Cristiano Ronaldo header that went wide of the post.
After that draw, both Portugal and Serbia are stuck on 17 points in their group. However, Portugal have scored three more goals and therefore are at the top of the table.
Portugal just need a win or draw against Serbia on Sunday to qualify for 2022 World Cup. https://t.co/HUirh8POFP
A win or even a draw would be enough for Cristiano Ronaldo's men to qualify for the World Cup.
It is important to also note that the team that comes second in the group will have another chance to qualify for the World Cup. They will have to play another qualifier.
However, it won't be a straight-forward task against Serbia. Portugal are unbeaten in their last seven encounters against Serbia. However, the Eagles are unbeaten in their last seven games.
With the added monetary incentive, the Serbian players will be further motivated to defeat Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. It is set to be a closely fought contest between the two sides.