Northern Ireland

Last-Gasp Neves Goal Secures Portugal Victory Despite Ronaldo Penalty ⁢Miss

LISBON, Portugal – Rúben Neves scored a ‌dramatic,‍ 90th-minute header to give Portugal a 1-0 victory over Ireland in a fiercely contested World Cup qualifying match at the Alvalade stadium Tuesday night. The win came despite a missed penalty by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 75th minute, saved brilliantly by Irish goalkeeper Caoimhín⁣ Kelleher.

The Group F⁢ clash saw portugal dominate possession‌ and​ create numerous chances, ⁢but Ireland’s resolute ⁢defence, spearheaded by Kelleher’s outstanding performance, repeatedly thwarted their efforts. Kelleher previously denied a close-range shot from João Silva in the first half and a Neves attempt following a counterattack⁣ in the 58th minute. The penalty, ​awarded after ​a handball confirmed by VAR,⁣ proved another test of the goalkeeper’s skill, which ​he passed ⁣with​ flying colors.

Neves’ late⁤ goal, assisted by a right-wing cross​ from Trincão, ultimately ‌secured all three⁢ points for ‍the ‘quinas’ and maintains their perfect start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. The goal was dedicated to the late‍ Diogo Jota,⁣ with Neves revealing a ‍tattoo of the ​former ‌teammate on his calf after celebrating.

with nine points ⁣from three matches, Portugal currently leads Group F. Hungary sits in second place with four ​points,​ followed by Armenia (three points) and ⁣Ireland (one⁣ point). Portugal will next face Hungary at the Alvalade stadium in Lisbon next Tuesday.

Match Details:

Portugal 1 – 0 Ireland

Goal: Neves (90′)

Portugal Starting XI: Costa; Dalot (Trincão ‌60′),‌ Inácio (Veiga 47′), Rúben Dias,‍ nuno Mendes, Bruno Fernandes (Ramos⁢ 86′), Rúben neves, Vitinha (Nelson Semedo ⁤60′), Bernardo silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pedro Neto (Rafael Leão 60′).

Ireland ‌Starting ⁣XI: Kelleher, O’Shea, Collins, O’Brien,‌ Manning, Molumby, Cullen, Coleman (Egan 86′), Ogbene (Smallbone 77′), Ebosele (Mikey Johnston 64), Ferguson (Parrot 77).

Referee: ⁤Ivan kružliak (SVK)

Cards: Ebosele, Molumby, Kelleher, Manning, Cullen (Ireland); Fernandes (Portugal) – all yellow.

The qualifying process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by Canada, mexico, and the United States,​ sees teams compete ​in regional confederations for a limited number of spots. UEFA, the European governing body, ‍has allocated ⁤21 direct qualifying berths, with potential playoff opportunities⁤ for additional teams. The top teams from each ⁣group will automatically advance to the tournament, while ⁢others may enter a playoff system to ‌secure their place.