Welcome to The Briefing, where The Athletic discusses three of the biggest questions to arise from the weekend’s football.
In this edition, focused on the World Cup qualifiers, Portugal hammered Armenia without Cristiano Ronaldo, Troy Parrott delivered a moment that will live long in the memory of every football fan from the Republic of Ireland, and Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy were beaten by Norway, who completed a perfect qualification campaign.
Here’s what happened in the world of football over the international break.
Are Portugal better without Ronaldo?
Ronaldo is unquestionably Portugal’s greatest-ever player. To many, he’s also the greatest European player in history. Some believe he’s the greatest of all time. Getting over players of his ilk is not easy, and Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has been reluctant to move on from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Joao Neves celebrates during Portugal’s 9-1 win (Pedro Loureiro/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Having been dismissed for an elbow on Dara O’Shea in Thursday’s 2-0 defeat by the Republic of Ireland, the first red card for his national team in 226 appearances, Ronaldo, 40, may not be available for the start of the World Cup. While it has not yet been confirmed, FIFA’s disciplinary code states that a red card for “assault, including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting or hitting an opponent” warrants a three-match suspension, meaning Ronaldo could be in line to miss Portugal’s opening two matches next summer. Having started all five of Portugal’s previous qualifiers, Sunday’s match against Armenia offered an insight into what Martinez’s side could look like in his absence next summer, and it’s safe to say they did not miss him at all.
Paris Saint-Germain striker Goncalo Ramos deputised for Ronaldo at the point of attack, notching a goal and an assist. But it was the midfielders who stole the show in their 9-1 win — Portugal’s largest margin of victory since they beat Luxembourg 9-0 in 2023. Due to an accumulation of yellow cards, Ronaldo wasn’t around for that one either.
Ronaldo was sent off for the first time in his international career (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
Goals from Renato Veiga, Ramos, and a second-half added-time misery compiler from Francisco Conceicao sandwiched hat-tricks from Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves. It marked the first time two players had scored three in one game for Portugal since Pauleta and Nuno Gomes in an 8-0 win over Kuwait in 2003, and Neves’ second hat-trick of the season, after scoring two bicycle kicks on his way to a treble for PSG against Toulouse in September. Having accepted second billing behind Ronaldo, his supporting cast thrived as an attacking unit without their all-consuming superstar.
With that massive win, Portugal confirmed their place at the World Cup and gave Martinez serious food for thought on how he’d set his side up at the tournament. Ronaldo has been in good form in World Cup qualifying — leading his nation with five goals, including two in a 5-0 win against Armenia in September — but having admitted this will be his final World Cup, the end is on the horizon. Influenced by their dominant display at the Estadio do Dragao, where goals were spread across the team, and Ronaldo’s potential ban, will Martinez make a bold call and move on sooner than anticipated?
Elias Burke
Play-off history in the making
As Liam Scales jumped up to meet Caoimhin Kelleher’s long, searching hoof into the Hungary box as the clock ticked past the fifth minute of injury time, Ireland held its collective breath. When the ball broke to Parrott, who poked home from six yards, putting the Republic of Ireland ahead 3-2 and into the play-offs for the World Cup, Irish national broadcaster RTE commentator Darragh Maloney summed up the nation’s sudden elation.
“There’s the goal,” Maloney said, with co-commentator and former Republic of Ireland international Ray Houghton screaming by his side. “That’s Troy Parrott! That is unbelievable. He’s scored a hat-trick, and right at the death, Ireland have done it. I’ve never seen anything like it. Absolutely remarkable.”
They will be joined at the UEFA play-off stage by first-time hopefuls Albania, who were beaten 2-0 by England on Sunday night.
90+5mins: 🇭🇺 2-3 🇮🇪
Ireland holds its breath, on the last throw of the dice… Hattrick for Parrott 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
📺 @rte2 @rteplayer https://t.co/xaKTb2LBVG
📻 @rteradio1 https://t.co/PEszeaDYyf
📱Updates: https://t.co/TC5xt2IxRd pic.twitter.com/Ags3WrAwOz— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) November 16, 2025
Having scored twice in Ireland’s win over Portugal on Thursday, Parrott notched three times to send Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side to the two-legged play-offs, which will take place next March. In an emotional post-match interview with RTE, a teary Parrott, who now plays for AZ in the Netherlands, having developed at Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, reflected on a whirlwind few days.
“This is why we love football, because things like this can happen,” he said. “I love where I’m from, so this means the world to me.
“This is the first time I’ve cried in years. I really can’t believe it.”
Ireland have not qualified for the World Cup since 2002, when they were knocked out in the last 16 following the infamous Saipan incident involving Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy, resulting in the Manchester United midfielder leaving the squad before their first game. They reached the play-off stage for the 2010 World Cup, but were denied by France in extra time, with Thierry Henry handling the ball in the lead-up to William Gallas’ decisive goal.
And they’re not the only underdogs still in the mix. After beating Slovenia 2-0 on Saturday, Kosovo are dreaming of qualifying for their first World Cup, having been accepted into FIFA competitions in 2016. They reached the play-offs ahead of Sweden, who recently appointed Graham Potter after a disastrous qualifying campaign. The former Chelsea and West Ham United head coach was unable to arrest their slide in his first match in charge, with Sweden currently sitting at the bottom of their group with one point from five games following a 4-1 defeat by Switzerland.
Elias Burke
Insult to Italy
Italy made it five wins from five under Gennaro Gattuso in Chisinau on Thursday. Goalless until the 88th minute, the travelling support were not pleased with Italy’s players. They insulted them.
“There were people wishing death on people,” Gattuso lamented. “People saying they’re going to come to our training ground. People saying ‘Get to work’. I’ve always accepted whistles. But this was a lot worse than that. A lot worse. And I won’t accept it.”
The president of the Italian senate, Ignazio La Russa, a politician with a bust of Mussolini at home, accused Gattuso of deflection. The performance in the 2-0 win against Moldova had been poor.
“I respect what La Russa says,” Gattuso replied in a press conference ahead of the Norway game. “But I don’t know where he was on the night of the game. Not at the stadium, that’s for sure. Maybe not even in front of the TV where you could hear the chants very well.”
Gennaro Gattuso gestures during the defeat by Norway (Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images)
Without the injured Moise Kean (four goals in four qualifiers), Riccardo Calafiori, and the suspended Nicolo Barella, Italy rotated and experimented at San Siro.
It was a game Italy needed to win by nine clear goals to automatically qualify for the World Cup. The improbability of overhauling Norway already became clear in September, when Stale Solbakken’s side put 11 past Moldova, accentuating an unassailable +29 goal difference. Italy have been talking about the play-offs ever since.
They took the lead early against Norway and promised to make it seven wins from eight in the group. Inter’s much-hyped 20-year-old striker Francesco Pio Esposito scored in consecutive qualifiers. But Norway, anonymous in the first half, rallied in the second and won 4-1.
Erling Haaland scored his 15th and 16th goals in the qualifiers. Italy will have to face a play-off semi-final and final in March if they are to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 12 years.
James Horncastle
What’s to play for this week?
Norway became the latest team to secure their place at the World Cup on Sunday night — they will make their first appearance since 1998. Norway join 31 other nations, including England, France, and first-timers Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Jordan, who have sealed qualification. But there’s plenty still to be determined in the coming days and months.
The Netherlands will be in North America next summer if they beat Lithuania on Monday night, while Scotland face Denmark on Tuesday to determine who will qualify automatically from Group C. After losing 3-2 against Greece on Saturday night, Scotland must beat Denmark at Hampden Park to ensure their spot at the World Cup, having last qualified in 1998.
Scotland must beat Denmark to seal automatic qualification (Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
There is a small possibility that Wales could also guarantee their qualification on Tuesday, with Craig Bellamy’s side needing to beat North Macedonia in Cardiff and hope pointless Liechtenstein beat current table-toppers Belgium. In the more likely event that Belgium win, Wales will join the Republic of Ireland in the World Cup play-offs in March, should they secure victory at home.
At the same time, Austria play Bosnia and Herzegovina in Vienna, with the home side needing a draw to earn automatic qualification and their opponents requiring three points to top the group.
Later that evening, Jamaica host Curacao to decide who will progress to join the USMNT, Mexico and Canada as a CONCACAF representative next summer. Curacao are ahead of Jamaica by one point, meaning Steve McClaren’s side must win in Kingston to earn automatic qualification.
Elias Burke
What’s coming up?
- Germany face Slovakia in possibly the tie of the international break on Monday night. Julian Nagelsmann’s side will qualify automatically if they win at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena, but Slovakia will take inspiration from the 2-0 win when they faced the four-time World Cup winners in September.
- Reigning European champions Spain will join England with a perfect qualification campaign if they beat Turkey in Seville without conceding on Tuesday. They have scored 19 goals without reply so far, including a 6-0 hammering of their upcoming opponents in September.
- Suriname could become the lowest-ranked team to qualify for the World Cup if they beat Guatemala and Panama fail to better their result. Currently, Suriname are level on points with Panama, but lead the Central American nation by two goals at the top of the group. Panama host El Salvador simultaneously.
- It’s all to play for in the third CONCACAF group, with two points separating the top three. Table-toppers Honduras (eight points) face Costa Rica (six points), with both sides aiming to take victory, knowing Haiti, who are two goals behind Honduras on goal difference, must win to ensure automatic qualification.