European 2026 WC Qualifiers: England crush Latvia to qualify, Portugal held by Hungary

With one qualifying spotlight already claimed, others are scrambling to clinch their berth, and some still face the spectre of playoffs. Here's how the night played out, match by match.

England Storm Past Latvia to Secure First European Ticket

In Riga, England delivered a statement: Latvia 0-5 England. Anthony Gordon put the visitors ahead in the 26th minute with a low drive into the corner. Then Harry Kane stepped up, first with a thunderous strike from outside the box in the 44th minute, then calm from the spot in first-half stoppage time, to bring his England tally to 76 goals.

After the break, a misdirected header by Latvia's Maksims Tonisevs off Djed Spence's cross extended England's lead, and substitute Eberechi Eze capped the rout in the final minutes.

England now sit top of Group K with a perfect six wins from six, 18 goals scored and none conceded, and with two matches to spare they become the first European team to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ronaldo Double Denied Portugal by Last-Gasp Equaliser

Portugal 2-2 Hungary delivered a rollercoaster in Lisbon. Hungary struck early via Attila Szalai's header in the 8th minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo responded, in the 22nd minute and then again in stoppage time before half, to put Portugal ahead. That brace also saw Ronaldo surpass the record for most goals in World Cup qualifiers.

However, late in stoppage time Dominik Szoboszlai struck from distance to deny the hosts full points. The draw delays Portugal's automatic qualification hopes, they lead Group F but must wait until November to seal their finals spot.

Spain Crush Bulgaria with Merino's Double

In Valladolid, Spain 4-0 Bulgaria looked every bit the Group E frontrunners. Mikel Merino scored twice via powerful headers (around the 35-minute mark and early in the second half). Then a cross turned in off a Bulgarian defender and a confident penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal sealed the deal. 

Spain remain perfect in Group E, holding 12 points from four games, and look set for top spot in the group.

Other Notables: Turkiye, Ireland, Moldova

Turkiye 4-1 Georgia kept pressure on Spain in Group E, they trail La Roja by three points with their final fixtures looming.

Republic of Ireland 1-0 Armenia gave Ireland their first win of the Group F campaign, a small boost as they chase qualification.

Estonia 1-1 Moldova saw Stefan Bodisteanu salvage a draw for Moldova, earning their first point of the campaign.

Tuesday's full results
Group E: Turkiye 4-1 Georgia, Spain 4-0 Bulgaria
Group F: Republic of Ireland 1-0 Armenia, Portugal 2-2 Hungary
Group I: Estonia 1-1 Moldova, Italy 3-0 Israel
Group K: Andorra 1-3 Serbia, Latvia 0-5 England

What It Means for Qualification

With England now assured of a spot, 11 remaining UEFA group-winners, and possibly four play-off winners, will fill the 16 European slots for the 2026 World Cup.

In Group K, England's perfect run puts them clear. The other teams (Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra) must fight for positioning, but only the top will qualify directly, second place heads to the playoffs.

In Group F, Portugal still lead but Hungarians (and others) remain in contention, second place may well be a battle for a play-off slot.

Spain's dominance in Group E makes them strong favourites to top the group outright, avoiding playoffs.

Other groups not covered here saw Italy pick up a 3-0 win over Israel, but their qualification is not yet secure, they may need to depend on a playoff.

The final rounds in November will be decisive. Teams that miss out on first place will hope their ranking or Nations League paths carry them through to the play-offs. The race is very much alive, and Europe's tickets are far from fully booked.