Portugal thrashed Armenia 9-1 to clinch qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals on Sunday, while a 96th-minute Troy Parrott goal to complete his hat-trick booked Ireland a spot in the playoffs.
Portugal were playing without suspended Cristiano Ronaldo who could miss the start of the tournament depending on whether FIFA extend his suspension beyond the mandatory one-match ban he served against Armenia.
But on Sunday the Portugal side didn’t missed their talisman as Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves both scored hat-tricks to register a huge win in Porto to top Group ‘F’.
“We’re at the World Cup! Let’s go, Portugal!” wrote Ronaldo on social media platform X.
Renato Veiga got the ball rolling for Portugal, with Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao also on the scoresheet.
After a draw in Hungary in October and a surprise defeat at Ireland on Thursday in which Ronaldo was sent off, Portugal wrapped up qualification at the third attempt in their final group match.
They will compete in a seventh consecutive edition of the World Cup, a tournament which the Euro 2016 champions are yet to win.
“We always want to win in the same way — to be convincing and control the game. It’s not always possible, but today we were effective and achieved a good victory,” said Fernandes.
With midfielder Fernandes playing a key role throughout, Portugal made a quick start by scoring in the seventh minute.
Manchester United’s midfielder Fernandes’s vicious inswinging free-kick from just outside the left side of the box was pushed onto the post by goalkeeper Henri Avagyan but Veiga was on hand to head home the rebound.
The visitors shocked the hosts by scoring on their first attack to equalise, with Grant-Leon Ranos crossing for Armenia captain Eduard Spertsyan to strike.
However, Portugal quickly stepped up a gear and racked up an unassailable lead. Paris St-Germain striker Ramos intercepted a back pass and squeezed home his country’s second after rounding Avagyan.
Portugal put together a tidy move for their third, with Neves blasting home from the edge of the box after being teed up by Fernandes.
Neves netted a spectacular second with a free-kick which flew into the top right corner, leaving Avagyan with no chance.
Fernandes netted the fifth in first half stoppage time with a low penalty after Ruben Dias was fouled.
Fernandes continued where he left off after the break, slotting home his second after being fed by Ramos.
Fernandes completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after debutant substitute Carlos Forbs was felled.
Neves followed suit for Portugal’s eighth goal, smashing home after Veiga headed Fernandes’s cross into his path.
Juventus forward Conceicao added the ninth in stoppage time to seal one of his country’s biggest-ever victories.
“Now we can truly dream about the World Cup, I was very pleased with the players’ response (after the Ireland defeat),” said Martinez.
‘It’s a fairytale!’
Meanwhile on Sunday, Ireland stunned Hungary with a late winner to triumph 3-2 in the other Group ‘F’ match and reach the play-offs, with Parrott following up his midweek brace against Portugal with a hat-trick.
Higher-ranked Hungary just needed a draw to secure second place and led 2-1 at halftime thanks to goals from Daniel Lukacs and Barnabas Varga, but Parrott’s second goal of the night on 80 minutes and last-gasp winner broke the home side’s hearts.
Hungary, who unlike Ireland have made the finals of the last three European championships, got off to the perfect start when Lukacs flicked in a Dominik Szoboszlai short corner on four minutes, only for Parrott to equalise from the penalty spot on 15 minutes.
Caoimhin Kelleher kept the sides level with a fine close range save from Roland Sallai but could do nothing on 37 minutes when striker Barnabas Varga chested the ball down with his back to goal just outside the box, swivelled and unleashed a stunning left-foot half volley into the top corner.
Ireland had set up the tense finale with a shock win over group winners Portugal and looked out of gas until Parrott, their hero from Thursday night, broke through to equalise again with 10 minutes to go and stabbed home his fifth goal in two games.
He was mobbed by exultant team-mates and substitutes.
Parrott had described his double in Thursday’s shock 2-0 win over Portugal that set up the dramatic finale as the best night of his life and was in tears after Sunday topped that.
“This is why we love football because things like this can happen. I love where I’m from, so this means the world to me,” the AZ Alkmaar striker told national broadcaster RTE shortly after embracing his family in the stands.
“This is the first time I’ve cried in years… It’s a fairytale, you can’t even dream about something like that.”
