Portugal will have to wait a little longer: the Iberians lost 2-0 in Ireland – partly due to a disservice from Cristiano Ronaldo – and thus failed to secure their ticket to the World Cup. The Boys in Green, on the other hand, have forced a final showdown on the last matchday.
A win in Ireland on Thursday evening would have secured Portugal’s ticket to the 2026 World Cup. In Dublin, however, the Iberians faced a team with their backs against the wall. The Boys in Green, for their part, needed at least one point to reach the final for the play-off spot in Group F. To achieve this, the home side relied on a compact and structured defense, making themselves comfortable around their own penalty area from the start.
As expected, the favorites started the game with a lot of possession and recorded the first shots on goal through Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the 40-year-old failed to create any danger with a backheel (2nd minute), a set piece (8th minute) and, shortly afterwards, from the edge of the penalty area (10th minute).
The Boys in Green, on the other hand, focused on quick transitions – and were almost invited in by Portuguese keeper Diogo Costa (17th minute). Parrott was in the right place at the right time from the resulting corner and had only to head home from close range to give his side a 1-0 lead (17′). Even after falling behind, it was Ronaldo who tried to get his team back on track (26′).
However, it remained a lot of empty possession without any moments of surprise. As a result, the home side had little trouble defending the Iberian attacks.
And what did the Irish do? They almost made it 2-0 in the 38th minute.
However, Ogbene failed to beat the post. It was only after the next wake-up call that the Portuguese became more compelling. Vitinha tested Kelleher with a scissor kick, but Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t find a teammate on the rebound (39′).
However, Ogbene hit the post. It was only after the next wake-up call that the Portuguese became more assertive. Vitinha tested Kelleher with a scissor kick, but Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t find a teammate for the rebound (39′), before Diogo Dalot shot just over the bar from a turn and Joao Felix’s side kick was blocked (44′).
In the midst of this period of pressure, Parrott struck a second time, the Irish striker slotting the ball through the legs of a defender into the bottom corner to make it 2-0 at half-time (45′).
The Portuguese continued to search for an opening after the restart. They only found one from a corner, but Vitinha’s shot from close range missed the target (48′).
After 61 minutes, the task for the visitors became even more difficult thanks to a disservice from their superstar: away from the ball, Cristiano Ronaldo struck O’Shea in the back with his elbow. After reviewing the video footage, referee Glenn Nyberg from Sweden had no choice but to show him a red card for violent conduct instead of the yellow card he had initially given him. Even with one man down, the visitors remained the dominant team, but their search for an opening continued to be unsuccessful. Ireland focused on defending their lead.
As the game progressed, belief in a comeback finally waned among the Portuguese ranks, and apart from Goncalo Ramos’ fine finish (87th minute), Ireland had nothing else to contend with until the much-celebrated 2-0 victory in the cauldron of Dublin was confirmed.
This means that the decisions in Group F will be postponed until Sunday (3 p.m.). With a win against Armenia, Portugal could then secure World Cup qualification on its own. At the same time, Ireland will face Hungary in a final match for second place, which would qualify them for the playoffs.
