Kylian Mbappé and France are definitely going to the 2026 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo might now be banned from Portugal’s first game there if his team finally wins its European qualifying group.
Two goals from star striker Mbappé helped two-time champion France to qualify with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine on Thursday. But Ronaldo was ejected for the first time in his international career and Portugal will have to wait till Sunday to try and secure a qualifying spot for the seventh straight time after it was stunned 2-0 by Ireland in Dublin.
Midfielder Michael Olise and substitute forward Hugo Ekitiké added the other goals in a dominant second half from France, the World Cup runner-up in 2022.
Mbappé coolly sent the penalty straight down the middle to break the deadlock in the 55th minute before Olise turned inside the penalty area to curl home the second goal in the 76th at Parc des Princes in western Paris. Mbappé poked in France's third goal from close range in the 83rd following a goalmouth scramble. Mbappé moved onto 55 goals and just two behind Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time top scorer.
“The French national team will always be better with him in it,” coach Didier Deschamps said about Mbappé. “He makes things easier for us. He performed his role perfectly this evening, as both a player and the captain of the national team.”
Mbappé went close to a hat trick moments later but blazed over after going clean through.
France has won Group D with 13 points so far, Ukraine and Iceland are tied on seven points and will fight for second when they meet on Sunday.
Ronaldo red card, Portugal not there yet
Portugal will host last-placed Armenia in the final qualifying game on Sunday, when Hungary hosts Ireland at the same time.
Portugal tops Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland is third with seven points.
Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea on the hour. The referee issued a yellow card but minutes later upgraded it to red after a video review.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said he thought the ejection was “a bit harsh,” pointing out that Ronaldo "has never been sent off before in 226 games.”
Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal plays Armenia. FIFA disciplinary rules require its judges to impose a ban of “at least two matches for serious foul play.”
Troy Parrott put the hosts ahead with a close-range header following a corner kick in the 17th minute against the run of play with Portugal dominant.
In another chance for Ireland, Chiedozie Ogbene hit the post on a counter amid Portuguese pressure before Parrott added his second in the final minute before the break, beating Diogo Costa with a low shot from inside the area at Aviva Stadium.
Haaland’s double
Earlier, Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved even closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 by beating Estonia 4-1 in Oslo.
The win virtually secures a spot for the high-scoring Norwegians in next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Italy had to rely on late goals from Gianluca Mancini and substitute Francesco Pio Esposito to win 2-0 at Moldova and is second in Group I, trailing leader Norway by three points.
Italy will likely have to settle for the playoffs where the four-time World Cup champion was eliminated in the past two editions. It hosts Norway on Sunday and would have to win by a nine-goal margin to directly qualify because of Norway's vastly superior goal difference.
Haaland has scored 14 of Norway’s European-best 33 goals in seven group-stage games. The Manchester City striker was born two years after Norway last reached the World Cup.
Still perfect England
Already qualified England continued to cruise in qualifying.
It beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to keep a perfect record in Group K and is yet to concede a goal.
Bukayo Saka fired England ahead on a rebound with a left-foot volley in the 28th after an initial shot by Nico O’Reilly was blocked. Substitute forward Eberechi Eze added the second in the 90th off a pass from another substitute, Phil Foden.
Albania beat Andorra 1-0 in the same group to secure the runner-up spot.
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