England qualify for 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo sets record as Portugal held

3 hours ago 1

Harry Kane scored doubly arsenic England thrashed Latvia 5-0 connected Tuesday to unafraid qualification for the 2026 World Cup, portion Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal were forced to hold to clinch their spot astatine the finals aft being held 2-2 by Hungary.

Elsewhere, pro-Palestinian demonstrations prefaced Italy’s captious triumph implicit Israel, and Spain took different measurement towards qualification with a large triumph against Bulgaria.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

Thomas Tuchel’s England brushed speech Latvia successful Riga to marque it six wins from six successful Group K and warrant the apical spot earlier their last 2 fixtures adjacent period – they person 18 points and an unassailable seven-point pb implicit second-placed Albania.

Anthony Gordon opened the scoring earlier Kane produced a lethal finish, and past netted a punishment to marque it 3-0 astatine half-time – the Bayern Munich striker has 21 goals successful 13 games this play for nine and country.

Maksims Tonisevs scored an own-goal and Eberechi Eze added the fifth, with England present capable to look guardant to December’s gully for adjacent year’s finals.

“It comes seldom that you suffice for a World Cup, truthful the temper is very, precise good,” said Tuchel.

Harry Kane successful  action.Kane scores England’s 3rd extremity from the punishment spot against Latvia [Carl Recine/Getty Images]

Portugal held by Hungary contempt Ronaldo scoring record

All 12 radical winners successful Europe suffice straight for the World Cup, with the runners-up going connected to the playoffs.

Serbia are a constituent down Albania aft warring backmost to triumph 3-1 successful Andorra.

Guillaume Lopez gave Andorra the pb with a stunning onslaught from wrong the centre circle, which sailed implicit Serbia goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

Christian Garcia’s own-goal brought Serbia level, earlier Dusan Vlahovic headed them successful beforehand and Aleksandar Mitrovic netted a penalty.

Portugal were connected the brink of punching their summons arsenic they led Hungary 2-1 successful stoppage clip successful Lisbon, knowing a triumph would corroborate archetypal spot successful Group F.

Attila Szalai headed Hungary successful beforehand lone for Ronaldo to crook successful Nelson Semedo’s driven transverse to equalise midway done the archetypal half.

Ronaldo past converted a Nuno Mendes transverse to springiness Portugal the pb successful first-half stoppage time, taking the 40-year-old Al Nassr superstar to an all-time planetary grounds of 143 goals successful 225 appearances for his country.

He present holds the grounds for the astir goals successful World Cup qualifying, with 41, 2 much than retired Guatemala planetary Carlos Ruiz, connected 39.

However, Hungary snatched a gully erstwhile Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai finished from adjacent scope successful wounded time.

That means Hungary stay 5 points down Portugal, with 2 games left, and so, could inactive apical Group F. Ireland, theoretically, could, too, aft Evan Ferguson’s header secured a 1-0 triumph against Armenia, who had Tigran Barseghyan sent off.

Cristiano Ronaldo reacts.Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring the archetypal of his 2 goals against Hungary successful their FIFA World Cup qualifying lucifer astatine Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal connected October 14, 2025 [Pedro Nunes/Reuters]

Protests successful Italy arsenic Israel knocked retired of qualifiers

Italy’s gathering with Israel successful Udine was prefaced by clashes betwixt immoderate pro-Palestinian demonstrators and police, arsenic thousands much peacefully marched done the bluish Italian metropolis successful choler astatine the hosting of a lucifer they felt should not person been played.

There person been calls for FIFA to exclude Israel from planetary competitions successful effect to the country’s brutal two-year-long violative successful the Gaza Strip, which came aft a cross-border battle carried retired by Hamas connected October 7, 2023.

There was a immense information beingness astir the Bluenergy Stadium hosting the Group I fixture, won 3-0 by Italy. Israel’s decision ends their bid for 2026 World Cup qualification.

The Azzurri are hopeless to suffice for the World Cup, having failed to marque it to the past 2 editions.

Mateo Retegui converted a punishment successful first-half stoppage clip and scored again with a stunning deed connected 74 minutes.

Gianluca Mancini headed successful a precocious 3rd to guarantee that Italy volition decorativeness astatine slightest 2nd successful the group, and are present conscionable 3 points down the leaders, Norway, with 2 games left.

The teams conscionable adjacent month, but Norway’s superior extremity quality means they stay primed to decorativeness first. Estonia and Moldova drew 1-1 successful the aforesaid radical connected Tuesday.

European champions Spain person 4 wins from 4 successful Group E aft defeating Bulgaria 4-0 successful Valladolid.

Mikel Merino scored 2 headers and present has six goals successful 4 games successful qualifying. Atanas Chernev scored an own-goal earlier Mikel Oyarzabal converted a precocious penalty.

“We don’t person overmuch further to spell to get to the World Cup, but it’s not done yet… I anticipation we support winning,” Merino told Spanish television.

Spain are 3 points wide of Turkiye, who bushed Georgia 4-1 astatine home, with Merih Demiral bagging a brace. Kenan Yildiz and Yunus Akgun besides scored for them.

Pro-Palestinian protesters react.Protesters clasp the borderline of a ample Palestinian emblem arsenic they stitchery successful solidarity with Palestine, connected the eve of the lucifer betwixt Italy and Israel for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, successful Udine, northeastern Italy, connected October 14, 2025 [Stefano Rellandini/AFP]
Read Entire Article