Portugal have officially booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup after an emphatic 9-1 thrashing of Armenia in Porto on Sunday. The spectacular victory, which featured hat-tricks from both Bruno Fernandes and João Neves, secured top spot in Group F with 13 points.
Hat-Trick Heroes Secure Qualification
The match at the Estádio do Dragão was a personal triumph for the midfield duo. Neves, opening his account for the national team, described the occasion as a dream. "The most important thing was qualifying for the World Cup. For me, as I always say, the team always comes before the individual," Neves told RTP. "I’m very happy to have scored my first goal for the national team, and my second and third as well."
Despite the eventual scoreline, Armenia briefly caused a stir when Eduard Spertsyan equalised after Renato Veiga's early header for Portugal. However, any notion of an upset was swiftly extinguished by a first-half goal blitz from Roberto Martínez's side.
A Match of Two Halves Dominated by Portugal
Gonçalo Ramos quickly restored Portugal's lead, setting the stage for Neves to score twice before the break, including a stunning free-kick. Bruno Fernandes then converted a penalty in first-half added time, sending the teams in at half-time with the score at a commanding 5-1.
The second half continued in the same relentless fashion. Fernandes added two more goals to complete his hat-trick, while Neves also secured his trio with a composed finish. Francisco Conceição delivered the final blow with a long-range strike in added time, completing the 9-1 rout.
Reaction and Group Standings
Armenia's coach, Yegishe Melikyan, acknowledged the gulf in class, stating his young team "are not ready to play against teams as powerful as Portugal." He added that mental errors had cost his side dearly after a promising start.
The result confirms Portugal's automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, offering captain Cristiano Ronaldo the chance to feature at a record sixth tournament. The Republic of Ireland, who defeated Portugal days earlier, finished second in the group with 10 points, securing a playoff spot after a dramatic 3-2 win over Hungary.
