Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic brace vs Hungary not enough for Portugal to secure World Cup spot
Cristiano Ronaldo was the standout performer in Portugal’s 2-2 draw against Hungary. The 40-year-old forward scored twice, reaching an all-time record in the process, but it wasn’t enough to lead his national team to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match got off to a rough start for Portugal, as Attila Szalai capitalized on a mistake by goalkeeper Diogo Costa in the 8th minute and headed in the opener for Hungary, stunning the thousands of fans at Estádio José Alvalade.
In that context, Ronaldo stepped up to score the equalizer just before halftime. He finished off a pass from Nelson Semedo inside the box, simply tapping the ball into the net. With that goal, Cristiano surpassed Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifiers.
Still unsatisfied, the Al Nassr forward struck again just before halftime, scoring a similar goal to turn the game around and put Portugal in position to clinch their place in the FIFA tournament. To do so, however, they needed to hold their lead until the final whistle—and also needed Armenia to drop points against Ireland.
Ireland did their part, claiming a crucial 1-0 win over Armenia. But Portugal couldn’t hold on. With Cristiano Ronaldo already off the pitch, Roberto Martinez’s side sat deep and Hungary capitalized, as Dominik Szoboszlai scored a stoppage-time equalizer. As a result, Portugal remain atop their group but will have to wait until November to secure their World Cup spot.