The Prime Minster Of North Macedonia (Real Place) Promised To Pay Over $500,000 To Its Soccer Team If They Beat Portugal Today

Remember this goal? Probably because it was last week. Not only did it knock out Italy from the World Cup for back-to-back times. But it also is giving North Macedonia another chance to knock off a world power in soccer. Imagine that in March. Imagine being a heavily favored team in March losing to some small country/school. Can't imagine how upset that would make you. Can't imagine how sad you'd be for weeks to come. 

Now it's North Macedonia vs Portugal today (2:45 eastern). It's simple. Win, you go to the World Cup. It's all part of the UEFA playoff qualifying. It was supposed to be Italy vs Portugal, which would have been AWESOME. Imagine those stakes playing for a World Cup invitation? Instead we get Saint Peter's North Macedonia vs Portugal. But there is a little more on the line here for North Macedonia. (h/t The Sun) 

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski has personally promised to pay the squad £421,000 (€500,000) if they repeat their heroics this evening, according to the Mirror.

If all that goes to players, you're looking like 20k per person. Not a bad pay day while you get to go to the World Cup. However, there's also this line. 

And the £421,000 bonus they would rake in might be enough to see them travel first class.

You can't lose to a team that's gonna fly business class to the World Cup. You can't lose to a team that probably gets the C boarding pass on Southwest and has no idea how the boarding process works. Portugal has Ronaldo. If he loses to North Macedonia we're going to have to sit down and have a conversation. 

I'll be honest. I don't know dick about North Macedonia. I'm not KB out here memorizing capitals. I remember seeing them in Euros last year and knowing they have pretty sick jerseys. Other than that? Couldn't tell you anything. There's only 1.8 million people in the country apparently. That's so tiny. All that said, I hope they win. Just crash the World Cup and get weird with it.