Matt Doherty was unable to help his nation as two former Wolves players combined to deliver heartbreak for the Republic of Ireland.
The Old Gold defender has had to sit out of the international break due to surgery to correct a broken wrist.
Doherty is likely out of action for four to five weeks, but Wolves do not want to put a timeline on the injury.
For the player, he’ll be hoping the November international break will not arrive too soon, as what happened on Saturday night means his nation will need their best players available and on form.
Ruben Neves and Francisco Trincao combined to score against Ireland
The Republic of Ireland took on Portugal in Lisbon on Saturday evening, and it was a crucial match for the country in their World Cup hopes.
Matt Doherty no doubt wants to be at the competition in North America, and he would have been disappointed to miss out on their two qualifiers in this break.
Up until the 90th minute, it was a resilient defensive effort from the Boys in the Green, but like Wolves have experienced lately, heartbreak struck.
In the first minute of added time, a goal forged in Old Gold was scored.
Former Wolves player Francisco Trincao crossed the ball to another ex-Wanderer in Ruben Neves. Neves leapt and would deliver a powerful header to put Portugal 1-0 up.
It was Neves’ first-ever goal for the national team, and what a time to score it.
Doherty, who played with Neves at Wolves, will be heartbroken at the late winner. A point away from home against Portugal would have been a terrific result for the Republic of Ireland.
Now, their chances of making the 2026 World Cup look a lot slimmer.
Matt Doherty now looks likely to miss the World Cup
Unfortunately for Doherty, while it is not mathematically impossible, it is still unlikely Ireland will make the 2026 World Cup.
They face Armenia on Tuesday, the 14th of October, at home in a must-win match. In the previous game, Armenia delivered a shock result, defeating Ireland 2-1 in Yerevan.
If Doherty’s country get a win and Hungary loses to Portugal, they will be level on points with second place heading into the next break.
However, once again, the Wolves defender will play no part.
| Place | Nation | Points |
| 1 | Portugal | 9 |
| 2 | Hungary | 4 |
| 3 | Armenia | 3 |
| 4 | Republic of Ireland | 1 |
However, they face Portugal again and will have to travel to Hungary. They are no doubt the underdogs in both of those games.
It will be a tough task, and it is unlikely they’ll be able to pull off a second-place finish, but it is not impossible. Second place will play a World Cup play-off for a spot in the tournament.
While Doherty has yet to qualify, there are a few Wolves players with their 2026 World Cup tickets already booked.