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Watch North Macedonia Subs & Staff Invade Pitch As Late Goal Ends Italy's World Cup Bid

Watch the moment Aleksandar Trajkovski scored for North Macedonia to deny Italy a place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Robert Summerscales

Watch North Macedonia Subs & Staff Invade Pitch As Late Goal Ends Italy's World Cup Bid
Watch North Macedonia Subs & Staff Invade Pitch As Late Goal Ends Italy's World Cup Bid /

North Macedonia produced a contender for shock result of 2022 by beating Italy at Palermo's Stadio Renzo Barbera on Thursday.

The team ranked 67th in the FIFA World Rankings beat the reigning European champions 1-0 thanks to an Aleksandar Trajkovski winner in the 92nd minute.

It was a brilliant long-range strike by Trajkovski, who had played for Palermo between 2015 and 2019.

After the ball hit the back of Gianluigi Donnarumma's net, the subs and coaching staff from the North Macedonia bench stormed onto the pitch to join Trajkovski in celebration.

Their celebrations were then put on ice as a VAR review was called for to determine whether Trajkovski had controlled the ball with his arm in the build-up.

But the goal stood and North Macedonia held on for a further three minutes of added time before the celebrations kicked off again once the final whistle was blown.

It means that Italy, for the first time ever, have failed to qualify for back-to-back FIFA World Cups.

North Macedonia, who have never played at a World Cup, will qualify for the first time if they beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in a playoff final next Tuesday.

Portugal won their playoff semi-final on Thursday by beating Turkey 3-1.

Italy's defeat will send shockwaves across world soccer.

They had only narrowly missed out on an automatic place at Qatar 2022 when Switzerland pipped them to first place in Group C on goal difference.

Italy had been one of seven teams who ended the regular qualifying phase unbeaten.

The Azzurri finished with four wins and four draws from their eight group games against Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania.

Meanwhile, North Macedonia finished second to Germany in Group J, ahead of Romania, Armenia, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Tuesday's playoff final against Portugal will take place at Porto's Estadio do Dragao.

The winner will progress to the World Cup draw on April 1.

No.9 Aleksandar Trajkovski shoots to score a goal for North Macedonia that means Italy will not be at the 2022 World Cup
No.9 Aleksandar Trajkovski scored for North Macedonia to deny Italy a place at Qatar 2022 :: IMAGO/Gribaudi/ImagePhoto
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Robert Summerscales
ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.