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Portugal v Republic of Ireland - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

'Meant to be' - Fans react as Neves dedicates Portugal goal to Jota

Football fans from across the world have been showing their emotion after Ruben Neves' late winner for Portugal against Ireland. Neves' header in the 91st minute was not only his first for his country, but it also marked the first goal the Selecao had scored at home since the death of Diogo Jota, Neves’ best-friend and team-mate with Portugal and Wolves, in July.

R. NevesD. Jota
Roy Keane

Keane backed to make return to management by former Man Utd team-mate

Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has backed Roy Keane to make a sensational return to management — this time as a more balanced figure ready to lead the Republic of Ireland. Brown believes Keane’s intensity has mellowed with time and experience, making him perfectly placed to inject passion and discipline into an Irish side struggling for identity and direction.

R. KeaneManchester United

Apuestas destacadas

Cuotas al ganador de la Champions League: Pronósticos actualizados
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Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 2025

'Doesn't have to apologise' - CR7 spared penalty miss criticism

Cristiano Ronaldo remains untouchable in his homeland as the Portuguese GOAT, with the all-time great being told that he has nothing to apologise for after missing a penalty against the Republic of Ireland. The Al-Nassr superstar fluffed his lines from 12 yards during a 2026 World Cup qualifier, with former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher keeping out his spot-kick before Ruben Neves snatched a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

C. RonaldoPortugal
Ruben Neves Ronaldo Portugal Ireland

CR7 bailed out: Neves late winner rescues Portugal

Ruben Neves rose highest to nod in a late winner for Portugal to beat a resilient Irish defence 1-0 in Lisbon. The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the hosts who had looked as if they would never beat the superb Caoimhin Kelleher in the Irish goal, particularly after their captain Cristiano Ronaldo had his penalty saved by the Brentford shot-stopper.

Player ratingsPortugal
Portugal v Spain - UEFA Nations League 2025 Final

Fernandes targets World Cup glory alongside Ronaldo in 2026

Portugal remain focused on landing the greatest prize in world football after Bruno Fernandes vowed the team are playing to win the World Cup for the entire nation. Portugal have a 100 per cent record heading into the Group F qualifier clash with Ireland, and Fernandes has spoken of the emotion he and his team-mates feel ahead of the tournament.

B. FernandesC. Ronaldo
Mason Melia NXGN

Mason Melia: The Irish Isak signed by Spurs for a record fee

Tottenham have made no secret of their desire to become a top-tier destination for the world's best young talent. "You can try to sell a vision to someone, but if there's tangible physical evidence of it… Anyone who has watched us since I've joined will have seen the aspirations we have to be the kind of team we want to be. That's not just me saying it, we're actually doing it," said former head coach Ange Postecoglou when he was calling the shots in N17.

NXGNAnalysis

Frequently asked questions

The US Women's team play across the year, with various breaks in the domestic soccer calendar. This combines friendlies, qualification games and major tournaments, which are held every two and four years.

The two biggest tournaments the USWNT plays in are the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Olympic Games. Both are held in real prestige in the women's game, while the CONCACAF Women's Championship is the main continental tournament the side plays in.

The USWNT has long been one of the best teams in the world and often goes into competitions as the favorites. They've won the World Cup a total of four times, as well as picking up five Olympic Gold Medals. The team has also won the CONCACAF Women's Championship a staggering nine times.

There's an actual hall of fame regarding the USWNT, with many players having represented their country hundreds of times. Kristine Lilly is the most capped player, with a staggering 354 appearances to her name. Christine Sinclair is at second with 311. Two other players have picked up over 300 caps, Carli Lloyd (316) and Christie Pearce (311).

The fanbase for the USWNT are known as the American Outlaws (AO for short). They are the unofficial supporters group for both the women's and men's national teams.

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