Cristiano Ronaldo made history by becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifying matches. However, his team, Portugal, couldn’t secure their spot in the World Cup just yet. They faced Hungary, and despite being in the lead, the game ended in a 2-2 tie when Hungary scored a last-minute goal.
Last-Minute Equalizer Stuns Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals for Portugal, including his 40th in the qualifying matches, bringing the team close to qualifying for the tournament. However, just as the fans were getting ready to celebrate in Lisbon, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai scored a goal in the final moments of the game, putting a damper on the festivities.
Portugal will have another opportunity to secure their spot in next year’s World Cup finals when they face off against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin next month.
Republic of Ireland Secures Crucial First Win
Evan Ferguson scored again, netting his fourth goal in just five international matches, helping the Republic of Ireland keep their hopes of reaching the World Cup alive. They managed to secure their first win in Group F by overcoming Armenia, who played most of the match with only ten players.
The head coach, Heimir Hallgrímsson, had previously stated that he would be okay with a poor performance as long as his team secured a 1-0 win, since winning was crucial that night. Ireland managed to pull through, albeit narrowly, especially after Tigran Barseghyan received a red card for headbutting Finn Azaz in the second half, which turned the game in Ireland’s favor.
Ferguson, who had missed a fantastic chance to score just moments before, found the back of the net with a header in the 70th minute. This goal secured a 1-0 victory at the Aviva Stadium. As a result, Portugal’s upcoming trip to Dublin and the following journey to Hungary will be significant, even though they pose tough challenges.
European Qualifying Roundup: Italy and Turkey Keep Pace
Italy maintained their chances of qualifying directly for the tournament with a strong 3-0 victory over Israel, featuring two goals from Mateo Retegui and a late goal from Gianluca Mancini in Udine. They are now just three points behind the group leaders, Norway, whom they will face at home next month. In another match, the bottom teams, Estonia and Moldova, played to a 1-1 draw.
Serbia and Turkey Chase Qualification
England has secured the top spot in Group K, but Serbia is still in the race for second place. They achieved a 3-1 victory over Andorra, with Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic both scoring goals. Serbia will compete with Albania, which is currently just one point ahead, for the second-place finish.
Turkey is currently three points behind the leaders of Group E, Spain, following a strong 4-1 victory against Georgia. In this match, Merih Demiral scored twice, while Kenan Yildiz and Yunus Akgun each added a goal for the Turkish team.
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