Ronaldo's 3 Goals Carry Portugal to World Cup Berth TT News Agency/Reuters Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals to secure Portugal a berth into the 2014 World Cup. The original pool of hopefuls had 207 teams, a diverse group of soccer nations ranging from minnows to monoliths that nonetheless had a common destination in mind. Now, more than 800 qualifying matches later, the field of 32 teams that will take part in the World Cup next year in Brazil is all but complete. Cristiano Ronaldo provided a fitting conclusion to the final significant day of qualifying, delivering a sublime performance in Solna, Sweden, in which he scored three goals in Tuesday's second leg and all four of Portugal's goals over all in its two-game aggregate series victory over Sweden. Ronaldo's masterpiece - which he punctuated with a demonstrative celebration in front of the dismayed Swedish fans - gave Portugal a 3-2 victory and qualified its team for its fourth consecutive World Cup. It also knocked out the Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored two goals Tuesday but could not keep pace with the resurgent Ronaldo. "I know Portugal needed me in these matches and I showed I am here," Ronaldo told Portuguese television. Ronaldo's showing was the most memorable development on a day thatfeatured few surprises. Iceland's bid to become the smallest nation at a World Cup was sunk by Croatia, which won by 2-0 in Zagreb. Burkina Faso was denied its first World Cup berth when it lost to Algeria. And Egypt could not overturn a five-goal deficit against Ghana, almost surely dooming its American coach, Bob Bradley, to an eventual ouster. Bradley essentially said goodbye to Egypt at his prematch news conference, providing a conclusion to a two-year tenure that will be remembered for remarkable success amid the country's political strife. The most shocking result - though it was not an outright stunner - came from Paris, where France rallied after an ugly first leg against Ukraine and avoided missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1994. Goals from Mamadou Sakho and Karim Benzema, along with an own goal by Ukraine, allowed France to win, 3-0, and turn around its 2-0 defeat in the first leg. France is one of 13 European countries that will play in Brazil, joining the fourth playoff winner, Greece, as well as Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Spain, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belgium and Switzerland. Japan, Iran, South Korea and Australia will represent the Asian confederation while Ghana, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Cameroon will go from Africa. Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador have confirmed spots from South America. The United States, Costa Rica and Honduras qualified from North American and Central America. The final two spots to be determined are virtually booked as well: Mexico is set to face New Zealand early Wednesday in Wellington, and Uruguay will host Jordan in Montevideo. Both Mexico and Uruguay hold sizable first-leg leads that should be enough to see them through. Ultimately, it will make for a compelling show over a month of games next June and July in 12 Brazilian cities. Assuming Uruguay advances, every country that has won a World Cup will play in Brazil. The majority of the game's top stars - save for Sweden's Ibrahimovic, Wales's Gareth Bale and Poland's Robert Lewandowski - should also take part, adding even more drama to the draw on Dec. 6. That event, which will be held near Salvador in Brazil, will determine the eight four-team groups for the finals, as well as the schedule of games in the group stage. The tournament begins June 12 in São Paulo, with the final set for July 13 in Rio de Janeiro. Notes Marc Janko scored in the 33rd minute after lax defensive marking, and the United States fell, 1-0, to host Austria in a friendly. The United States finished the year with a team-record 16 victories and qualified for its seventh straight World Cup. Austria failed to qualify. ...Per Mertesacker's header gave Germany a 1-0 win in a friendly at Wembley Stadium and sent England to back-to-back home losses for the first time in 36 years. While Germany deployed a second-string lineup - and took control after taking the lead - England started with a strong lineup as it prepares for the World Cup.