England cruise to World Cup, Ronaldo breaks record, Italy advance amid protests

Harry Kane scored twice as England crushed Latvia 5–0 on Tuesday to secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal were made to wait after a late equaliser from Hungary denied them early qualification.

Thomas Tuchel’s England made it six wins from six in Group K, guaranteeing first place with two matches to spare. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring before Kane fired in a brilliant finish and later converted from the penalty spot to make it 3–0 by halftime. An own goal from Maksims Tonisevs and a late strike from Eberechi Eze rounded off the rout in Riga.

“It comes rarely that you qualify for a World Cup, so the mood is very, very good,” Tuchel said after the match.

In Lisbon, Portugal looked set to book their place after Ronaldo struck twice, bringing his international tally to a staggering 143 goals, but Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai spoiled the party with a stoppage-time equaliser for Hungary. The draw leaves Portugal five points clear at the top of Group F with two matches remaining.

Elsewhere, Italy’s 3–0 win over Israel in Udine was overshadowed by pro-Palestinian protests outside the stadium, as demonstrators condemned FIFA for allowing Israel to compete amid its ongoing war in Gaza. Thousands marched peacefully, while minor clashes broke out before kickoff.

On the pitch, Mateo Retegui scored twice, including a penalty, and Gianluca Mancini added a late header as Italy stayed firmly in contention, now three points behind group leaders Norway with two matches to play. Israel’s defeat ended their qualifying hopes.

Spain also impressed, brushing aside Bulgaria 4–0 in Valladolid to maintain a perfect record in Group E.