Portugal & Norway Qualify: 2026 World Cup Path Explained

CNN Español
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The 48-team World Cup added two new participants this Sunday. Portugal and Norway got a direct ticket for the competition that Canada, the United States and Mexico will host, and joined the other UEFA teams with guaranteed participation: England, France and Croatia, who had achieved it before this last date of the Qualifiers.

Portugal, which had just missed two chances to get into the World Cup (one in a 2-2 with Hungary and another in a 0-2 with Ireland) finally got a ticket to North America with a categorical victory over the weak Armenia by 9 to 1.

The Porto stadium was the scene of a true exhibition by the Portuguese team, which within 7 minutes was already winning 1-0 and, despite an unexpected partial draw by the visitors, they went into halftime 5-1 and with the certainty of having the match in their pocket. Bruno Fernández and Joao Neves scored a hat trick each, while Gonçalo Ramos, Francisco Conceição and Renato Veiga scored the remaining ones. Eduard Spertsyan scored the only goal for the Armenians, who finished last in their zone.

Ireland, dying

The big surprise in that Group, F, came in the battle for second place, which ensures a seat in the UEFA playoff for the last four spots. Ireland, which had already broken expectations by beating Portugal days ago, accomplished an agonizing feat by beating Hungary as a visitor 3-2 to snatch that second place in dispute.

The story started well for the Hungarians, who took the lead after 3 minutes and went into halftime also ahead 2-1. However, they did not count on the fact that the Irishman Troy Parrott would probably seal the best week of his life: after being the author of the two goals for his team against Portugal, this Sunday he scored the three goals for Ireland, the last one in the 96th minute of play to put his country in the play-offs.

Group D already knew its direct qualifier, France, and the only thing left to know was the owner of the playoff ticket, which was defined in a head-to-head match between Ukraine and Iceland to be played in Poland, where they arrived equal on points, but with the Icelanders ahead by goal difference.

This is how the story continued until the last 10 minutes of the game, when two goals from Oleksandr Zubkov and Oleksiy Gutsulyak (already in stoppage time) unleashed Ukrainian uproar in neighboring Warsaw.

Sunday’s main course was served in Milan, where Erling Haaland’s Norway traveled to realize their World Cup dream. It was a head-to-head for direct qualification and a place in the play-offs, but it already seemed like an impossible mission for Italy, which had to win by nine goals to take the lead in Group I from the Nordics.

However, the miracle was very far away. What’s more, despite an early goal by Pio Esposito that sparked the Azzurra’s enthusiasm, the truth is that the four goals that Norway scored against them in the second stage plunged them into doubts and despair.
Antonio Nusa, Haaland twice and Jorgen Strand Larsen got the Scandinavians into the World Cup, while Italy will have to find its place in the playoffs.

The highlight will be Germany and Slovakia, who will play for the lead and the play-off spot in Leipzig. The Germans have two results in their favor, since both teams arrive equal on points, but with the Germans ahead due to a better goal difference. Slovakia only needs to win, and they will go out to play knowing that, at the very least, they are guaranteed second place.

In Group G there is little room for surprise. The Netherlands receives Lithuania knowing that a draw is enough to win the zone, and that even if they lose there would have to be a miracle for Poland to take that place from them (the Poles should win in Malta by an exaggerated goal difference). The consolation for the Eagles is that, regardless of the results of the day, at least they will play in the playoffs.

In Group L there is nothing to be defined. Croatia already has qualification in its pocket, while the Czech Republic will in no way lose its place in the playoffs.