Portugal left it late to seal a dramatic 3-2 World Cup qualifying win over Hungary, with Joao Cancelo’s stunning strike proving decisive. Cristiano Ronaldo added another goal to his tally, but Bruno Fernandes endured a frustrating night as Roberto Martínez’s side made it two wins from two on the road to 2026.
Joao Cancelo’s brilliant late goal secured Portugal a rollercoaster 3-2 victory over Hungary on Tuesday night in Budapest, keeping Roberto Martínez’s men perfect in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Hungary struck first in the 21st minute when Barnabás Varga rose highest to head home Adam Nagy’s pinpoint cross. Goalkeeper Balázs Tóth, making his debut, then pulled off a pair of fine saves to deny Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Neves, before being beaten by Bernardo Silva’s emphatic finish nine minutes before the break.
After halftime, Portugal turned the game around thanks to Ronaldo. The 40-year-old won and converted a penalty in the 58th minute — his third goal in two qualifiers — to put the visitors ahead. But Hungary hit back through Varga, who netted another towering header six minutes from time. Just as the Puskás Aréna roared in delight, Cancelo silenced the crowd with a superb curling strike from the edge of the box moments later.
Portugal Player Ratings vs Hungary
Goalkeeper & Defence
- Diogo Costa (6/10): Beaten by two unstoppable headers, little else to do.
- Ruben Dias (7/10): Solid presence, dealt with Hungary’s counters well.
- Ruben Neves (7/10): Surprising pick at centre-back but adapted with composure.
- Nuno Mendes (7/10): Defensively assured, offered bursts going forward.
Midfield
- Joao Neves (6/10): Bright on the ball but left spaces exposed.
- Vitinha (6/10): Creative passing but guilty of giving Varga space for opener.
- Bruno Fernandes (5/10): Misplaced passes, failed to influence, subbed early.
- Joao Cancelo (8/10): Assisted Silva’s equaliser and netted the match-winner.
Attack
- Bernardo Silva (7/10): Took his goal well, lively throughout.
- Cristiano Ronaldo (7/10): Won and scored penalty, but wasted chances and drifted offside.
- Pedro Neto (6/10): Delivery decent, lacked directness.
Subs & Manager
- Francisco Trincao (7/10): Injected much-needed energy.
- Joao Palhinha (6/10): Struggled to fully control midfield.
- Joao Felix (6/10): Flashes of quality, nearly scored late.
- Antonio Silva (N/A), Gonçalo Ramos (N/A).
- Roberto Martínez (7/10): Kept faith in his system, subs had mixed results, but ground out a crucial win.
