Ireland delivers blow to Hungary's resistance, securing a draw against Portugal
In the ongoing qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, several key matches took place over the weekend, with some teams continuing their impressive form while others struggled to find their footing.
Group H
Portugal extended their lead at the top of Group H with a resounding 0-5 victory against Armenia. Diogo Jota was a part of the Portuguese squad, with João Cancelo and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a goal each. João Félix added two more for Portugal, making it a comfortable win for Fernando Santos' men.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are hot on Portugal's heels, recorded a convincing 0-6 win against San Marino. Benjamin Tahirovic and Edin Džeko scored two goals each, while Bardar and Kerim Alajbegović added one apiece. Bosnia now have 13 points, one more than Austria, who beat Cyprus 1-0 thanks to a Marcel Sabitzer penalty.
Cyprus, Romania, and San Marino are struggling in the group, with Cyprus currently on three points, Romania on six, and San Marino yet to earn any.
Group F
Portugal lead Group F with 12 points, but they were pushed harder than expected by Armenia. Despite the scoreline, Armenia can take heart from their performance, as they remain last in the group with no points.
The Republic of Ireland and Hungary are level on one point each in the group. Hungary took an early 2-0 lead, but Ireland fought back to make it 2-2, thanks to a goal from Evan Ferguson in the 49th minute. The match ended in a draw, with Hungary's Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai scoring in the second and 15th minutes, respectively. However, Sallai was shown a red card, leaving Hungary with one less player for the remainder of the match.
As it stands, Austria lead Group H with nine points from nine possible, while Bosnia and Herzegovina are close behind with 12 points. Portugal top Group F with 12 points, followed by the Republic of Ireland and Hungary on one point each. The race for qualification is heating up, with some exciting matches still to come.
[News updated at 9:50 PM] In the late kick-off, Nihad Mujakić scored for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 90th minute to secure a 1-0 win against San Marino. This result leaves San Marino still pointless in Group H.
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