World Cup Qualifiers: Cristiano Ronaldo breaks down in tears after Portugal's exit

Not very often do football fans witness Cristiano Ronaldo showing out his emotion after losing a match but that is what exactly happened when Serbia beat Portugal on Monday. A late goal from Serbian striker Aleksander Mitrovic in Portugal vs Serbia match gave the visitors a shocking 2-1 win over Portugal. The win not only confirmed their qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but also broke Cristiano Ronaldo's heart in the process. 

World Cup qualifiers: Cristiano Ronaldo in tears post-Portugal vs Serbia match

Portugal's loss to Serbia during World Cup qualifiers means Cristiano Ronaldo led team will have to now go through a playoff to reach Qatar. As the final whistle blew Cristiano Ronaldo was reduced to tears on the pitch at the Estadio da Luz as his Portugal side failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The reaction certainly showed how deep was the effect of Serbia's goal on the superstar.  

Portugal vs Serbia: Recap of Portugal vs Serbia match

For Portugal, coming into this match the equation was very simple in terms of qualifying for the World Cup with the team just needing a draw.  The home team had their foot in front inside two minutes into the first half with Renato Sanches giving the lead. However, the joy for Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates was quite short-lived after Dusan Tadic levelled the score after the half-hour mark to make the match more interesting.

With both teams pressed for goals, it was  Aleksandar Mitrovic who turned out to be the hero. The Fulham striker was introduced at half time with Serbia looking to get the winning goal, while Portugal struggled in their attempts to get themselves in the match. With the match into extra time, Mitrovic got on the end of a Tadic cross to score the dramatic winner, having missed a similar score just moments earlier. The player was booked for his celebrationCristiano Ronaldo did have a chance to level, but he shot way too high and with that the chance to automatically qualify for the Football World Cup in two years time.

Image: Portugal football/ Instagram