Portugal, Norway book qualification spots at 2026 FIFA World Cup

Portugal recovered from a daze nonaccomplishment to Ireland connected Thursday to qualify, portion Norway is done for the archetypal clip since 1998.

Portugal booked their summons to the 2026 World Cup with a 9-1 triumph implicit Armenia connected Sunday, portion an Erling Haaland brace rubber-stamped Norway’s spot successful the planetary showpiece arsenic they romped to a 4-1 triumph successful Italy.

After being held by Hungary and past stunned by the Republic of Ireland past clip out, Portugal sealed apical spot successful Group F astatine the 3rd clip of asking with a resounding triumph implicit bottom-side Armenia.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Sinner wins Alcaraz conflict to clasp ATP Finals title
• list 2 of 4DR Congo daze Nigeria connected penalties to triumph African World Cup playoffs
• list 3 of 4Skateboarding helps Gaza children with trauma amid ruins, adds uncommon joy
• list 4 of 4‘Nobody tin halt it’: Makhachev outclasses Della Maddalena astatine UFC 322

In the lack of the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, prima midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves some scored hat-tricks arsenic the Portuguese ran riot successful Porto.

Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao were besides connected the scoresheet.

“The astir important happening was qualifying for the World Cup,” Paris Saint-Germain linchpin Neves told RTP.

“For me, arsenic I ever say, the squad ever comes earlier the individual. I’m precise blessed to person scored my archetypal extremity for the nationalist team, and my 2nd and 3rd arsenic well.”

Portugal volition vie successful a seventh consecutive variation of the World Cup, a tourney which the Euro 2016 champions person yet to win.

“We’re astatine the World Cup! Let’s go, Portugal!” Ronaldo posted connected societal media.

The striker could miss the commencement of the tourney depending connected whether FIFA widen his suspension beyond the mandatory one-match prohibition helium served against Armenia.

Ireland sewed up the playoff spot successful the radical acknowledgment to Troy Parrott’s 96th-minute hat-trick goal, handing them a 3-2 triumph implicit third-placed Hungary.

Daniel Lukacs gave the hosts the pb successful Hungary aft 4 minutes, earlier Parrott levelled from 12 yards soon afterwards.

Barnabas Varga’s 37th-minute extremity looked to person been capable for Hungary to seal 2nd spot until 23-year-old Parrott notched his 4th and 5th planetary goals this week.

Parrott was the leader with his brace successful Thursday’s 2-0 decision of Portugal, and helium struck to equalise again for Ireland with 10 minutes remaining successful the Hungarian capital.

The AZ Alkmaar guardant past sparked chaotic Irish celebrations arsenic helium prodded location Liam Scales’s knockdown heavy into wounded clip to nonstop Heimir Hallgrimsson’s broadside into March’s playoffs.

Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes scores a hat-trick against Armenia from the punishment spot successful the 72nd infinitesimal [Luis Vieira/AP Photo]

‘Absolutely insane’

Italy needed a occurrence successful Milan to pip Norway to archetypal spot successful Group I owed to the visitors’ gargantuan extremity quality advantage.

Pio Esposito scored aboriginal astatine the San Siro to springiness the location broadside the faintest of hopes, but they were incapable to again interruption down stubborn Norwegian defending arsenic Stale Solbakken’s broadside held firm.

Antonio Nusa levelled conscionable aft the hr earlier Haaland, inevitably, netted doubly successful 60 seconds to crook the necktie connected its head. Jorgen Strand Larsen past enactment gloss connected the effect successful wounded clip arsenic Norway romped to an eighth triumph from 8 outings.

It volition beryllium Norway’s archetypal quality astatine the World Cup successful 28 years.

“I’m happy, but much relieved. There’s a batch of unit and stuff, and I consciousness it. But it’s fun,” Haaland, who netted 16 goals crossed the campaign, told TV 2.

“It’s indescribable. Absolutely insane. The mode we did it is perfectly incredible. It’s huge,” Martin Odegaard said.

Israel bushed Moldova 4-1 but finished six points adrift of second-placed Italy, who spell into the playoffs.

France booked their spot successful adjacent year’s tourney successful North America with a triumph implicit Ukraine earlier successful the week, and a much-changed broadside concluded their run with a 3-1 triumph successful Azerbaijan.

Ukraine saw disconnected Iceland 2-0 acknowledgment to 2 strikes wrong the last 10 minutes from Oleksandr Zubkov and Oleksii Hutsuliak to assertion 2nd spot successful Group D.

Thomas Tuchel’s England completed a cleanable group-stage show arsenic they won 2-0 against Albania to decorativeness their run with a 100 percent record, featuring 22 goals scored and zero conceded – a European grounds for a squad playing astatine slightest six qualifying matches.

“I deliberation it’s arsenic bully [a squad] arsenic we’ve ever had,” Harry Kane, who scored some England goals, told ITV.

“I deliberation erstwhile you look astatine the starting 11, you look astatine the players coming disconnected the bench, we’re going to spell into the tourney arsenic 1 of the favourites.”

With Albania already assured of 2nd place, Serbia bushed Latvia 2-1 successful a dead-rubber successful Group K’s different match.

Norway’s skipper Erling Haaland and teammate Julian Ryerson observe their triumph astatine the extremity of the FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification lucifer betwixt Italy and Norway, astatine the San Siro Stadium, successful Milan, connected November 16, 2025 [Alberto Pizzoli/AFP]