Cristiano Ronaldo struck again as Portugal secured a hard-fought 3-2 success against Hungary in their 2026 World Cup qualifying clash at the Puskas Arena.
The hosts went ahead in the 21st minute through Barnabas Varga, but Bernardo Silva drew the visitors level 15 minutes later. After the break, Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 58th minute to move Portugal in front.
Hungary refused to give in, and Varga equalized once more in the 84th minute. Just when the home crowd sensed a draw, Joao Cancelo delivered the decisive finish two minutes later to seal victory for Roberto Martinez’s team.
Record milestone for veteran striker
Ronaldo’s spot-kick was his 39th goal in World Cup qualifying games, drawing him level with Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz at the top of the all-time chart. The Portuguese captain is now three clear of Argentina’s Lionel Messi in this category.
At 40 years of age, the forward has now amassed 141 goals from 223 international outings, the highest tally ever achieved by a male player for his country.
Group standings after opening matches
The result in Budapest means Portugal sits atop Group F with two wins from two matches. Four days earlier, they had overwhelmed Armenia 5-0, with Ronaldo on target twice.
Hungary, meanwhile, remains in third place with one point, the same as the Republic of Ireland, who lost 2-1 to Armenia.
