Cristiano Ronaldo misses penalty, but Portugal beat Ireland with a stoppage-time goal from Neves

That’s the end of our live blog, with Portugal securing a 1-0 victory over Ireland in the World Cup qualifiers thanks to Ruben Neves’ goal. See you next time!

Portugal beat Ireland 1-0 in the World Cup qualifiers. Ruben Neves scored the winning goal, while Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty.

Bernardo Silva received a yellow card.

Ruben Neves scored the opener for the hosts with a powerful header.

Cullen becomes the third Irish player to receive a yellow card.

Bruno Fernandes is replaced by Gonçalo Ramos.

John Egan comes on to replace Seamus Coleman.

Manning is shown a yellow card for time-wasting.

Troy Parrott and Will Smallbone come on for Chiedozie Ogbene and Evan Ferguson.

The Ireland goalkeeper denied Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty with a foot save.

After a shot by Trincao, the referee awarded a penalty for a handball by O’Shea.

Semedo delivered a cross, and Cristiano Ronaldo got the shot off, but once again the ball went well wide.

Mikey Johnston comes on to replace Festy Ebosele.

Nelson Semedo, Francisco Trincao, and Rafael Leao come on to replace Diogo Dalot, Pedro Neto, and Vitinha.

Ruben Neves led a counterattack that ended with a shot easily handled by Kelleher.

Ronaldo received a pass from Fernandes, controlled it, and took a shot, but the ball went just past the post.

The Al Nassr forward headed a cross from Dalot, but his shot lacked accuracy.

Renato Veiga comes on for Gonçalo Inacio in Portugal.

Portugal and Ireland are back on the field after the break.

Portugal and Ireland are tied 0-0 in the World Cup qualifiers.

Bernardo Silva pounced on a rebound inside the box and fired a shot, but a defender got in the way to block it.

After a few minutes of holding off Portugal, Ireland are now sitting very deep, dangerously close to their own box.

The PSG midfielder struck from distance, and after a deflection off a defender, the ball dropped just over the crossbar.

The Portuguese winger fired a shot from outside the box, but it went wide.

Jayson Molumby took a shot from outside the box, but it sailed well over the crossbar.

Portuguese fans gave a standing ovation in remembrance of Diogo Jota in the 21st minute, honoring the shirt number worn by the late forward, who passed away earlier this year.

Festy Ebosele is shown a yellow card for a hard foul.

Ronaldo fired a left-footed shot from outside the box that smashed off the post. Moments later, Bernardo Silva missed a clear scoring opportunity.

Nuno Mendes tried to find Cristiano Ronaldo with a long cross, but goalkeeper Kelleher comfortably collected the ball.

In the opening minutes, the hosts are trying to take command of the ball, but they have yet to create any real scoring chances.

Portugal and Ireland are underway in the World Cup qualifiers.

Saturday’s match will be the 17th all-time meeting between Portugal and Ireland. Since their first encounter in 1946, Portugal have won 9 matches, lost 4, and drawn 3. Their most recent clash came on November 11, 2021, during the World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022, ending in a 0-0 draw in Dublin.

Beyond the importance this match against Ireland holds in Portugal’s quest to secure a spot at the World Cup 2026, it could also be a historic night for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 40-year-old forward is currently tied with Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz as the all-time leading scorers in World Cup qualifiers, with 39 goals. That means if CR7 scores today, he will take sole possession of the all-time record.

The referee selected for Saturday’s match between Portugal and Ireland is Ivan Kruzliak. He is a 41-year-old official from Slovakia with international experience dating back to the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup. He has also officiated in the UEFA Nations League and Euro 2024, as well as various European club competitions.

Full officiating crew:

• Referee: Ivan Kruzliak
• 1st Assistant: Branislav Hancko
• 2nd Assistant: Jan Pozor
• Fourth Official: Peter Kralovic
• VAR: Clay Ruperti
• AVAR: Richard Martens

Hours before the match between Portugal and Ireland, the other Group F game for Matchday 3 was played. At the Puskas Arena, Hungary defeated Armenia 2-0 and secured three crucial points that improve their position in the standings.

Saturday’s match will take place at Estádio José Alvalade in the city of Lisbon. The venue, which opened in 2003 and holds over 52,000 spectators, is home to Sporting CP in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.

This stadium was one of the host venues for Euro 2004, which ended with Greece’s historic title. In recent years, it has hosted numerous matches for the national team, the most recent being a 5-2 win over Denmark in the UEFA Nations League this past March. In addition to Saturday’s clash with Ireland, Portugal will also play Tuesday’s match against Hungary at the same venue.

General view inside the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Head coach Roberto Martinez has selected the following starting XI to face Ireland: Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot, Ruben Dias, Gonçalo Inacio, Nuno Mendes; Bernardo Silva, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Cristiano Ronaldo, Pedro Neto.

Here is the starting XI chosen by head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson to take on Portugal: Caoimhin Kelleher; Seamus Coleman, Jake O’Brien, Dara O’Shea, Nathan Collins; Festy Ebosele, Josh Cullen, Jayson Molumby, Ryan Manning, Chiedozie Ogbene; Evan Ferguson.

Portugal and Ireland will face off at 2:45 PM (ET).

You can watch the World Cup qualifiers live on ViX, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video and Fubo.

Welcome to our live blog for the match between Portugal and Ireland on Matchday 3 of Group F in the World Cup qualifiers. Stay tuned for key updates and live minute-by-minute coverage!