Portugal continued their strong start to World Cup qualifying with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Hungary on Tuesday night at the Puskás Arena in Budapest.

João Cancelo delivered the winner in the 86th minute, sealing all three points for Roberto Martínez’s side. Cristiano Ronaldo extended his scoring streak to five straight matches for Portugal, while Bernardo Silva also found the net in a lively contest.

Hungary pushed hard in front of their home supporters, pulling level twice with determined attacking play, but the visitors’ quality showed late as Cancelo struck decisively.

The result gives Portugal back-to-back away wins to open their Group F campaign, keeping them firmly on track for qualification.

“It’s never easy once you fall behind, and we showed a lot of character, just like against Germany and Spain in the Nations League when we managed to come back,” said Bernardo Silva. “Today, once again against a tough team, we did the same. Even after they scored late, we still managed to find the winner.”

Ronaldo, 40, extended his remarkable international record to 141 goals in 223 appearances for Portugal — the most by any male player for his country.

Manager Roberto Martínez praised the resilience of his squad. “I’m delighted we scored two goals from open play. We looked very threatening from set pieces, and we got the penalty. But above all, it’s the character this team is building — a winning mentality, resilience. That was the key today. We weren’t as tactically fluid as against Armenia, but we deserved the win.”

Elsewhere in Group F, Armenia defeated Ireland 2-1 to move into second place with three points, while Hungary and Ireland remain on one point each.