England grabs World Cup spot, as Portugal left waiting

England became the first nation from Europe to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will have to wait after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer against Hungary.

England won 5-0 in Latvia, with captain Harry Kane scoring twice in the first half, to assure first place in its group with two matches to spare. The English, who will be appearing at an eighth straight World Cup, haven't conceded a goal in six matches in qualifying so far under German coach Thomas Tuchel.

"Sometimes, we make it look easy," said Kane, who already has a total of 21 goals for England and Bayern Munich this season, "but these groups and games can be tough. We talk about high standards, no matter who we play against, to keep the momentum, and that showed."

Portugal looked set to join England in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico after two goals from the 40-year-old Ronaldo established a 2-1 lead over Hungary in Lisbon. A win would have guaranteed Portugal a first-place finish, but Dominik Szoboszlai made it 2-2 in the first minute of added time to leave second-placed Hungary five points back with two games left.

Ronaldo, at least, left the match with another scoring record. He now has 41 goals in World Cup qualifiers, breaking a tie for 39 he had with Guatemala player Carlos Ruiz.

Italy, which has failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, guaranteed itself at least a place in the playoffs after beating Israel 3-0 in a match laced with tension, played amid a hefty police and military presence, and preceded by a pro-Palestinian march attended by an estimated 10,000 people.

The second-placed Azzurri moved three points behind Norway, which has a much healthier goal difference. Both teams have two matches left next month, including a game against each other in Italy in the final round of qualifiers.

Spain stayed top of its group, three points clear of Turkiye, by beating Bulgaria 4-0 to maintain its 100 percent start to the qualifying campaign.

Turkiye also won, 4-1 at home to Georgia, and at least looks set for the spot in the playoffs.

Tuchel winning over critics

Tuchel is putting his own stamp on the England team — and might potentially be winning over some critics who wanted an English person in charge of the national team.

He has made some big calls, such as leaving out high-profile players like Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, and taking on England's fans for being too quiet in last week's home friendly against Wales, but is getting some impressive results — albeit against mediocre opposition.

If the 5-0 win in Serbia last month was the statement result in Tuchel's tenure so far, this latest thrashing was another sign of the assuredness and ruthlessness of the team. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, Kane added two more in the first half, and substitute Eberechi Eze struck after halftime. The Three Lions also profited from an own goal.

"Brilliant — such a good mood in the dressing room," Tuchel said, while England defender John Stones added: "We're building something special."

Ronaldo brace not enough

Expect Ronaldo still to reach a record sixth World Cup, but he must wait another month for that to be confirmed.

Portugal missed a chance to wrap up qualification early, with Szoboszlai converting a low cross at the back post to quieten the home fans at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Attila Szalai gave Hungary an eighth-minute lead with a header from a corner, before the ageless Ronaldo stole the show, finding space to tap in his 142nd and 143rd international goals — another record he holds in the men's game.

The Al Nassr striker has now scored at least two goals in a game for Portugal on 37 occasions, UEFA said.

Portugal needs just a point from its next match, in Ireland on Nov 13, to clinch a seventh straight qualification to the World Cup.

Merino nets twice, too

On a night of scoring doubles, Mikel Merino netted twice for Spain as the European champion made it four wins from four matches in qualifying and is yet to concede a goal.

After an own goal, Mikel Oyarzabal added a late fourth for Spain, which plays Georgia away and Turkiye at home next month.

Turkiye, for whom Merih Demiral scored twice against Georgia, has three points and a dauntingly inferior goal difference of 12 to make up against the Spanish.

Agencies Via Xinhua