MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty and an overhead kick as Portugal beat Poland 5-1 to guarantee a place in the Nations League quarterfinals on Friday. Scotland got its first win in nine games to keep alive its hopes of staying in the tournament’s top tier. The match between Romania and Kosovo was suspended in stoppage time with the score 0-0 in Bucharest.
There were scuffles between players from both teams and Kosovo players walked off the pitch. UEFA did not explain why the game was cut short but Kosovo players were reportedly upset at hearing pro-Serbian slogans. After historic tensions were heightened by the 1990s Balkans conflicts, in 2008 majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo declared independence for the former Serbian province.
Serbia refuses to recognize that independence and considers Kosovo the cradle of its statehood. Games involving Kosovo, Albania and Serbia have been a tinder box in recent years. Spain, which had already secured first place in Group A4, beat Denmark 2-1 in Copenhagen, and in the same group Serbia grabbed a late equalizer in Switzerland to condemn the Swiss to relegation into the second tier.
France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal are all assured one of the eight quarterfinal spots. The games will be held from March 20-23. The eight teams are also guaranteed a spot in Pot 1 for the qualifying draw for the 2026 World Cup.
In Porto, Ronaldo turned in a man-of-the-match performance in a blistering second half. Portugal took its.