LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice and set a new goalscoring record, but his Portugal side could only draw with Hungary to miss a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo has now scored 41 goals in World Cup qualifying to move clear of the previous record holder, former Guatemala striker Carlos Ruiz, who got 39 qualifying goals in his career.
With England beating Latvia 5-0 to qualify from Group K, Portugal were minutes away from also securing their spot in next summer's tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
However, in the 91st minute, Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai grabbed an equaliser to deny Portugal the win they needed, although they still hold a five-point lead at the top of Group F with two matches to go.
Portugal's next chance to qualify comes on 13 November when they play the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. In Lisbon, Hungary took an eighth-minute lead with a goal from Attila Szalai after he was set up by Szoboszlai.
But Ronaldo pulled Portugal level in the 22nd minute from six yards out when he connected with Nelson Semedo's low cross from the right.
Ronaldo then got the 948th goal of his career and his 143rd international goal just before half-time, this time with a composed finish following Nuno Mendes' delivery.
However, Szoboszlai's late equaliser kept Hungary's hopes of winning the group alive.
Hungary remains second in Group F and is one point ahead of the Republic of Ireland, who beat Armenia 1-0 in Dublin.
England became the first country from Europe to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will have to wait after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer against Hungary.
England won 5-0 at Latvia, with captain Harry Kane scoring twice in the first half, to assure first place in its group with two matches to spare. The English, who will be appearing at an eighth straight World Cup, haven’t conceded a goal in six matches in qualifying so far under German coach Thomas Tuchel.
“Sometimes we make it look easy,” said Kane, who already has a total of 21 goals for England and Bayern Munich this season, “but these groups and games can be tough... We talk about high standards no matter who we play against to keep the momentum, and that showed.”