Ireland's hopes for the 2026 World Cup remain alive after a surprising 2-0 victory over Portugal at the Aviva Stadium. Troy Parrott was the hero, scoring
twice, while Cristiano Ronaldo experienced a rare setback with a red card. This marked Ronaldo's first dismissal in his extensive international career, occurring during his 226th match.
AZ Alkmaar's Parrott opened the scoring for Ireland in the 17th minute. Liam Scales headed a deep corner across goal, allowing Parrott to finish from close range past Diogo Costa. Just before halftime, Parrott doubled the lead by converting a long pass from Dara O'Shea at the near post. Chiedozie Ogbene also came close, hitting the post with a curling shot.
Portugal's chances diminished significantly when Ronaldo was sent off after a VAR review. He caught O'Shea with an elbow in frustration. Despite Goncalo Ramos forcing a late save from Caoimhin Kelleher, Portugal couldn't recover. Ireland now sits three points behind Portugal and trails Hungary by one point in Group F.
Troy Parrotts brace has secured all three points! A memorable night at The Aviva Stadium pic.twitter.com/1owfD04md7 Ireland Football (@IrelandFootball) November 13, 2025
Despite Ronaldo's absence aiding their cause, Ireland earned their win with 1.96 expected goals (xG) from 14 shots compared to Portugal's 1.55 xG from 27 attempts. Notably, Portugal had their highest number of shots in the first half of a major tournament qualifier without scoring since September 2017 against Hungary.
Young Achiever: Troy Parrott
At just 23 years and 282 days old, Parrott became the third-youngest player to score multiple goals in a competitive international match for Ireland. Only David Connolly and Robbie Keane were younger when they achieved similar feats. Additionally, Parrott is the first player to score more than once for Ireland since Callum Robinson's hat-trick against Qatar in October 2021.
Ireland will face Hungary next Sunday as they conclude their campaign. The team remains hopeful of securing a spot in the World Cup with this recent boost in performance and morale.
