French superstar Kylian Mbappé delivered a masterclass, firing his national team into the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a decisive victory. Meanwhile, Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo's night ended in controversy with a red card that leaves his team's qualification hopes hanging in the balance.
France Secures Qualification with Dominant Display
In a match played on Thursday, November 13, 2025 (Friday, November 14 in the Philippines), France demolished Ukraine 4-0 at the Parc des Princes. The win officially secured top spot in Group D and their ticket to the World Cup.
The game was a tale of two halves. After a goalless first period, France exploded after the break. Kylian Mbappé broke the deadlock early in the second half, setting the stage for a commanding performance. Michael Olise then doubled the lead with a beautiful curling effort before Mbappé struck again from close range. Substitute Hugo Ekitiké put the final nail in the coffin with a late goal.
This two-goal performance was historic for Mbappé, bringing his international tally to 55 goals. He is now just two goals away from surpassing Olivier Giroud as France's all-time top scorer. France now sits comfortably atop Group D with 13 points, while Ukraine and Iceland are tied for second with 7 points each.
Ronaldo's Red Card Casts Shadow on Portugal's Campaign
In stark contrast to France's celebration, Portugal suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat away to Ireland. The loss means Portugal must win their final match against last-place Armenia to secure a seventh consecutive World Cup appearance.
The match took a dramatic turn on the hour mark when Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a red card. After a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, his initial yellow card for an elbow on Irish defender Dara O'Shea was upgraded to a straight red.
This dismissal triggers an automatic one-game suspension. More worryingly, FIFA rules allow for a longer ban for serious foul play. This puts Ronaldo's availability for the World Cup opener at risk, should Portugal manage to qualify.
Portugal controlled possession for large parts of the game but was undone by two first-half goals from Ireland's Troy Parrott. Despite the setback, Portugal remains first in Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary.
Haaland and Norway on the Cusp of History
In other qualifying action, Erling Haaland continued his phenomenal scoring form, netting twice in Norway's 4-1 win over Estonia. With 14 goals in just seven qualifying matches, Haaland has Norway on the verge of their first World Cup since 1998.
Norway leads Group I and is close to securing a place in the expanded 2026 tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Italy kept its faint hopes alive with a 2-0 win in Moldova but faces a near-impossible task, needing a nine-goal victory against Norway in their final match to avoid the playoffs.
