In a dramatic night of European World Cup qualifying, France secured their ticket to the 2026 tournament while Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo faced his first-ever international ejection, potentially banning him from their opening World Cup match.
France Dominates with Mbappé Brilliance
Kylian Mbappé showcased his world-class quality with two crucial goals that propelled France to a commanding 4-0 victory against Ukraine at Parc des Princes on Thursday. The win guarantees France's spot in the 2026 World Cup as Group D winners with 13 points.
The match remained deadlocked until the 55th minute when Mbappé calmly converted a penalty straight down the middle. The floodgates opened thereafter, with Michael Olise curling home a beautiful second goal in the 76th minute. Mbappé added his second and France's third in the 83rd minute from close range, before substitute Hugo Ekitiké completed the scoring.
Mbappé's brace takes him to 55 international goals, placing him just two behind all-time top scorer Olivier Giroud. French coach Didier Deschamps praised his captain, stating "The French national team will always be better with him in it. He makes things easier for us and performed his role perfectly."
Ronaldo's Unprecedented Red Card Drama
While France celebrated, Portugal suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat to Ireland in Dublin, with Cristiano Ronaldo making unwanted history. The legendary forward received his first red card in 226 international appearances after elbowing Ireland defender Dara O'Shea on the hour mark.
The incident initially earned a yellow card, but after video review, the referee upgraded it to red. Portugal coach Roberto Martinez called the decision "a bit harsh," emphasizing Ronaldo's previously clean disciplinary record.
Ronaldo now faces a mandatory one-game ban for Portugal's final qualifier against Armenia on Sunday. More significantly, FIFA disciplinary rules require "at least two matches for serious foul play," which could see him miss Portugal's opening World Cup match if they qualify.
Qualifying Scenarios and Other Results
Portugal still leads Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary, while Ireland sits third with seven points. The Portuguese need only a draw against last-placed Armenia on Sunday to secure qualification for their seventh consecutive World Cup.
In other qualifying action, Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved closer to their first World Cup since 1998 with a 4-1 victory over Estonia. The Manchester City striker has now scored 14 of Norway's European-best 33 goals in seven group-stage games.
Already-qualified England maintained their perfect record with a 2-0 win against Serbia at Wembley, while Italy kept their hopes alive with a 2-0 victory at Moldova, though they likely face the playoffs unless they can overcome Norway by a nine-goal margin.
The contrasting fortunes of football's biggest stars highlighted an eventful night of qualification drama, setting the stage for crucial final group matches this Sunday.
