Portugal crushes Armenia 9–1 to seal 2026 World Cup spot

November 16, 2025 / 9:58 PM

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Portugal delivered a dominant 9–1 victory over Armenia at Estádio do Dragão in Porto in the final Group F match of the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

World Cup qualification secured

With the win, Portugal qualified for the World Cup finals for the seventh consecutive time and the ninth time in their history, topping the group with 13 points.

Goal scorers and match highlights

Renato Veiga, Gonçalo Ramos, João Neves (hat-trick), Bruno Fernandes (hat-trick, including a penalty), and Francisco Conceição all scored for Portugal. Eduard Spirtsyan netted Armenia’s only goal.

Historic victory

The result marks Portugal’s biggest World Cup qualifying win since their 7–1 victory over Russia in 2006, equaling their second-largest official win in history.

Group standings and Ronaldo’s absence

Ireland finished three points behind Portugal and secured a playoff spot after a 3–2 comeback win over Hungary. Cristiano Ronaldo missed the match due to a red card received in the previous game.