Portugal secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an emphatic 9–1 win over Armenia in Porto on Sunday.
Playing without suspended captain Cristiano Ronaldo, the reigning Nations League winners raced ahead in the 7th minute through Renato Veiga’s close-range header. Armenia equalised shortly after via Eduard Spertsyan, but Portugal quickly re-asserted control.
Midfielders Bruno Fernandes and João Neves stole the spotlight with hat-tricks. Fernandes converted two penalties and added a second-half strike. Meanwhile, Neves delivered an explosive free-kick and capped his treble with another composed finish. The scoring spree was rounded out by goals from Gonçalo Ramos and Francisco Conceição.
“Our main goal was qualification. The team always comes before the individual,” Neves said.
The victory gives Portugal 13 points from five matches, effectively crowning them group F winners ahead of the Republic of Ireland.
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