Nov 14, (V7N) — Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo joked before the match that he would “be a good boy” against Ireland. But the script flipped as he received the 13th red card of his career, leaving the field amid Irish fans’ mocking gestures — gestures he returned before exiting.

On the pitch, Ireland had the final say. Troy Parrott scored twice in the 17th and 45th minutes, securing Ireland’s first win over Portugal since 2005 and keeping their slim World Cup hopes alive in Group F.

France Cruise Past Ukraine 4–0

In Group D, France delivered a dominant performance at the Parc des Princes, though they had to wait until the 55th minute for the opener.

  • Kylian Mbappe converted a penalty to break the deadlock.

  • Michael Olise doubled the lead in the 76th minute.

  • Mbappe added his second in the 83rd minute.

  • Hugo Ekitike completed the 4–0 rout five minutes later.

France topped the group with 13 points, confirming their place in the 2026 World Cup with four wins and a draw from five matches.

Italy Leave It Late Against Moldova

In Group I, Italy dominated possession but struggled to find the net until the 88th minute, when Gianluca Mancini finally opened the scoring.

In stoppage time, Sebastiano Esposito added another, giving Gennaro Gattuso’s side a 2–0 win.

England Maintain Perfect Qualifying Record

England continued their flawless run in Group K with a 2–0 victory over Serbia.

  • Bukayo Saka scored in the 28th minute.

  • Eberechi Eze sealed the win in the 90th minute.

Under manager Thomas Tuchel, England have won all seven of their qualifiers without conceding a goal.

END/SMA/AJ