Mon Nov 17 19:50:00 UTC 2025: Portugal, Norway Secure World Cup Berths in Thrilling Qualifying Clashes

Porto, Oslo – Portugal and Norway have both secured their places at the 2026 World Cup with dominant performances in their final qualifying matches.

Portugal booked their ticket with a resounding 9-1 victory over Armenia in Porto. Bruno Fernandes and João Neves each bagged hat-tricks in a match that showcased Portugal’s attacking prowess. Despite a shock 2-0 defeat to Ireland earlier in the week, Portugal clinched the top spot in Group F with 13 points. João Neves expressed his joy at qualifying and scoring his first international goals. Renato Veiga, Gonçalo Ramos, and Francisco Conceição contributed the other goals for Portugal, while Eduard Spertsyan briefly leveled the score for Armenia in the first half. Ireland finished second in the group after beating Hungary 3-2.

Meanwhile, Norway will compete at the World Cup for the first time since 1998 after a 4-1 away win against Italy. Despite conceding an early goal, Norway dominated the second half. Antonio Nusa leveled the score, and Erling Haaland scored twice. Jørgen Strand Larsen secured the victory in stoppage time.

Other Qualifying News:

  • Ukraine secured a playoff spot with a 2-0 win over Iceland in Group D.
  • A second-string France defeated Azerbaijan 3-1 to top Group D.
  • DR Congo won an African qualifying playoff against Nigeria 4-3 on penalties and now await the inter-confederation playoff draw.

The World Cup draw will occur on Thursday where there will be a draw for the inter-confederation playoff in March.

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