Gala without Ronaldo

Portugal storm to the World Cup with 9:1! Drama surrounding Hungary

Portugal storm to the World Cup finals!(Bild: AFP/MIGUEL RIOPA)

Portugal secured their ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals with a brilliant 9:1 victory over Armenia in Group F on Sunday. Without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, the Iberians worked their magic and left no stone unturned in a group that was contested right up to the final matchday. Meanwhile, Hungary and Ireland battled it out for the remaining play-off place. The Irish were rewarded for an intense battle in the end. 

For a short time on Sunday afternoon, it looked as if the suspended Ronaldo would have to tremble again for his World Cup ticket. After Renato Veiga gave his Portuguese side a quick lead in the seventh minute, the underdogs from Armenia drew 1:1 and Eduard Spertsyan briefly silenced the Estadio do Dragao.

But then the hosts really got going. In the end, the scoreboard read 9:1. Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes scored three times each. With 13 points, the favorites also secured a direct ticket to the World Cup. The jubilation and euphoria were correspondingly great.

It could hardly have been more dramatic
Things were more dramatic at the same time in Budapest. Hungary and Ireland were battling it out for second place and a place in the play-offs. Daniel Lukacs put the hosts ahead after three minutes. Troy Parrott's equalizer (15th) was then countered by Barnabas Varga to give Hungary the lead again (37th) 

Man of the match: Troy Parrott!(Bild: AP/Denes Erdos)

But it was Troy Parrott's day. First he equalized Hungary's lead again (80') before scoring the winner in stoppage time. The Irish thus overtook Hungary at the last second! The fans in Budapest couldn't believe it - Parrott, meanwhile, made himself the hero of the day in Ireland.