Almost as soon as the final whistle sounded at the Estádio do Dragão on Sunday afternoon, Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media to celebrate Portugal punching their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 40-year-old was forced to miss out on his country’s final World Cup qualifier against Armenia after he was sent off in Portugal’s shock 2–0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland last time out. Ronaldo caught Dara O’Shea with a trailing elbow and saw red for the first time in his 22-year international career.
Still, even without their captain and all-time leading goalscorer, Roberto Martínez’s men cruised to a resounding 9–1 victory in front of a delighted home crowd. Five different players found the back of the net, led by Bruno Fernandes and João Neves, who each bagged a hat trick.
Now with Portugal’s place in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer officially secured, Ronaldo, who is now set to join Lionel Messi as the only two players to ever feature in six World Cups, blasted a rallying cry across his social media platforms.
ESTAMOS NO MUNDIAL! VAMOS COM TUDO, PORTUGAL! 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/3bfPqkrecH
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 16, 2025
“We’re in the World Cup!” Ronaldo wrote. “Let’s go Portugal!”
Despite blunders against Hungary and the Republic of Ireland, the 2025 UEFA Nations League champions still finished atop Group F with 13 points.
The Boys in Green, who secured a last-gasp 3–2 victory over Hungary, finished as the runners up and will now compete in the playoff to keep their 2026 World Cup dreams alive.
Martínez: Portugal Are Still ‘Better’ With Ronaldo
Portugal have now only scored nine goals twice in their history, and both times have come without Ronaldo. Still, Martínez was quick to shut down any talk of his squad potentially being better off without the Real Madrid legend.
“No, we’re a better team with Ronaldo, Nuno Mendes, and Pedro Neto,” the Portugal boss said in his postgame press conference.
“The most important thing is that football is a game of mistakes, of difficulties, of resilience, and when some players aren’t there, we have to find a way to win. I think the important thing is to have all the important players, but also to have confidence and a clear idea that we can win when certain players aren’t in the starting XI.”
Mendes missed out on the November international break due to a knee injury while Neto is nursing a groin injury. Still, the two stars, along with Ronaldo, are integral players for Portugal that will be back in action in the new year, barring any added fitness issues.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Suspended Cristiano Ronaldo Reacts to Portugal’s 2026 World Cup Qualification .
