Who: Ireland vs PortugalWhat: UEFA World Cup qualifier, Group FWhere: Aviva Stadium in Dublin, IrelandWhen: Thursday at 7:45pm (19:45 GMT)Click here to follow our live coverage.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listUnbeaten Portugal (3-1-0) will seal direct qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 if they beat Ireland in their penultimate Group F fixture at the Aviva Stadium.Armed with a five-point lead, Roberto Martinez’s team are in the box seat to seal a seventh consecutive appearance at football’s global showpiece.Ireland (1-1-2), for their part, still have a mathematical chance to keep their World Cup aspirations alive by causing a huge upset on Thursday night against an opponent that is fifth in the FIFA world rankings.They are currently third in the group – but only a point behind second-placed Hungary with two matches still to play. Ireland last qualified for the World Cup in 2006.Here is all to know about their Group F return clash:Current Group F standings (two fixtures remaining):
Portugal – 10 points (from four matches)
Hungary – 5 points (from four matches)
Ireland – 4 points (from four matches)
Armenia – 3 points (from four matches)
How can Portugal and Ireland still qualify for World Cup in Group F?Scenario 1: Group leaders Portugal require a win against Ireland to ensure direct World Cup qualification into next year’s tournament, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.In this scenario, Portugal would have 13 points – an insurmountable lead over the other three teams in the group with just one match remaining. Advertisement Scenario 2:If Portugal were to draw its final two fixtures against Ireland and Armenia, they would also finish top of the G …
