Ronaldo Record Chase
New Delhi
Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved his class as he scored twice in Portugal’s emphatic 5-0 win over Armenia in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying opener. At 39, the star forward stretched his international goal tally to 140 and is now just one short of Carlos Ruiz’s all-time qualifying record of 39. Joao Felix added two goals, while Joao Cancelo also found the net, giving Portugal an early lead in Group F.
The day also saw high drama in Dublin, where the Republic of Ireland staged a late comeback to draw 2-2 with Hungary. Goals from Barnabas Varga and Roland Sallai had put Hungary in control, but after Sallai’s red card, Ireland fought back. Evan Ferguson reduced the margin, and deep into stoppage time, Adam Idah headed in the equalizer.
Austria continued their unbeaten run in Group H with a 1-0 win over Cyprus. A foul on Christoph Baumgartner led to a Marcel Sabitzer penalty, which sealed the match. Bosnia and Herzegovina stayed on top of the same group, thrashing San Marino 6-0, with Edin Dzeko scoring twice in quick succession.
In Group K, England marched on under new coach Thomas Tuchel, beating Andorra 2-0. An early own goal and a Declan Rice header secured victory. Serbia kept close behind with a 1-0 win in Latvia, thanks to Dusan Vlahovic’s early strike.
With strong starts for Portugal, England, Austria, and Bosnia, and Ireland showing resilience, the World Cup qualifiers have already set the stage for an intense journey.
