New Delhi, Nov 17 (NationPress) Portugal secured their spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a commanding 9- victory against Armenia in Porto, despite the absence of their captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed the match due to suspension following a red card in the recent loss to Ireland.

Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves each netted hat-tricks, guiding Portugal to qualification.

The scoring began with a header from Renato Veiga, capitalizing on a rebound from goalkeeper Henri Avagyan. Armenia equalized through Eduard Spertsian, who converted a cross from Grant-Leon Ranos, but Portugal swiftly regained the lead with a goal by Ramos after an Armenian error.

Shortly afterward, Fernandes assisted Neves for a powerful finish, and Neves scored again with a perfectly executed free-kick. Fernandes rounded off his hat-trick, converting two penalties and adding a right-footed strike.

The celebration was completed with Neves’ third goal and a last-minute strike from Francisco Conceicao.

On the other hand, goal-scorer Erling Haaland contributed two more goals as Norway maintained their flawless record with a 4-1 triumph over Italy in Milan, marking their return to the World Cup stage for the first time since 1998, while Italy must settle for a play-off round.

Norway achieved their World Cup return with an impeccable qualification record after overcoming a deficit against Italy.

Needing to win by an unlikely nine goals, Italy struck first with Pio Esposito scoring after a setup from Federico Dimarco, igniting hope among the home crowd at San Siro.

After a lackluster first half, Stale Solbakken’s team improved significantly in the second half, with Antonio Nusa equalizing with a powerful shot from outside the box.

Oscar Bobb assisted Haaland for a stunning volley to put Norway ahead, and the unstoppable striker scored again, matching Robert Lewandowski’s record of 16 goals in a qualification campaign, set ahead of the 2018 World Cup. Jorgen Strand Larsen added the finishing touch in stoppage time.

In dramatic fashion, Ireland clinched the second spot in Group F, coming from behind twice against Hungary to score a late winner that silenced the home fans in Budapest.

Ukraine secured the runners-up position in Group D with two late goals against Iceland, while France, England, Serbia, and Israel concluded their campaigns with wins over Azerbaijan, Albania, Latvia, and Moldova, respectively.

Additionally, England captain Harry Kane added two goals to his international record as the Three Lions completed an unbeaten qualification campaign with a win over Albania.