Harry Kane shines as England qualify for 2026 World Cup; Cristiano Ronaldo breaks records for Portugal | Football News
England secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup with a commanding 5-0 victory over Latvia, while Portugal’s qualification was delayed after a 2-2 draw with Hungary on Tuesday. The matches were marked by notable performances from Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo, while pro-Palestinian demonstrations preceded Italy’s crucial win against Israel. England maintained their perfect record in Group K, securing their sixth consecutive win in Riga. The victory gave them an unassailable seven-point lead at the top of the group with 18 points, confirming their World Cup qualification with two games remaining. Anthony Gordon initiated the scoring for England before Harry Kane added two goals, including a penalty, to make it 3-0 by halftime. Kane’s performance continued his impressive run, bringing his total to 21 goals in 13 games this season for club and country. “It comes rarely that you qualify for a World Cup, so the mood is very, very good,” said England manager Thomas Tuchel. The match concluded with an own goal by Maksims Tonisevs and a fifth goal from Eberechi Eze, cementing England’s dominant performance. In Group F, Portugal’s qualification celebrations were put on hold after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Hungary in Lisbon. Hungary took the lead through Attila Szalai’s header before Ronaldo equalized and later scored again, extending his international scoring record to 143 goals in 225 appearances. Ronaldo’s performance also earned him the record for most goals in World Cup qualifying with 41, surpassing Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz’s previous record of 39. However, Hungary’s Dominik Szoboszlai scored in injury time to secure the draw. Italy’s match against Israel in Udine was preceded by protests, with pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashing with police while thousands peacefully marched through the city. The demonstrations were sparked by concerns over hosting the match amid Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. The Azzurri secured a 3-0 victory in the Group I fixture, with Mateo Retegui scoring twice and Gianluca Mancini adding a third. The win ensures Italy will finish at least second in the group, positioning them three points behind leaders Norway with two games remaining. Spain continued their strong qualifying campaign in Group E, defeating Bulgaria 4-0 in Valladolid. Mikel Merino scored two headers, bringing his qualifying tally to six goals in four games, while an own goal by Atanas Chernev and a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal completed the scoring.”We don’t have much further to go to get to the World Cup, but it’s not done yet… I hope we keep winning,” Merino stated after the match. In other matches, Serbia overcame an early setback to defeat Andorra 3-1, keeping them one point behind Albania in Group K. Guillaume Lopez had given Andorra the lead with a remarkable goal from inside the center circle. Turkey maintained pressure on Spain in Group E with a 4-1 victory over Georgia, featuring two goals from Merih Demiral and additional scores from Kenan Yildiz and Yunus Akgun. The European qualifying system guarantees direct World Cup qualification for all 12 group winners, with runners-up advancing to playoffs. Estonia and Moldova drew 1-1 in their Group I encounter, while Ireland secured a 1-0 win against Armenia through Evan Ferguson’s header in Group F.
