Portugal player ratings vs Armenia: No Cristiano Ronaldo, no problem! Hat-trick heroes Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves lead rout as Seleccao score NINE to secure World Cup spot in style
Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves hat-tricks helped a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal qualify for the 2026 World Cup with an emphatic 9-1 win over Armenia on Sunday. The Seleccao were without their iconic forward following his red card against Ireland, but virtuoso displays from Fernandes and Neves ensured they topped UEFA Group F thanks to a thumping victory.
After their shock loss to Ireland in midweek, Portugal seemed determined to right the wrongs of what happened in Dublin, and it took just seven minutes to ease fans’ nerves when Fernandes’ free-kick was pushed onto the post by Armenia goalkeeper Henry Avagyan, and Renato Veiga was on hand to head into the empty net. Boos were soon ringing around Sporting CP’s stadium, however, when Eduard Sperstian bundled the ball home from close range after the Portuguese defence was cut open in the 18th minute.
Not long after supporters held a minute’s applause for the late Diogo Jota, Goncalo Ramos pounced on a poor back pass by Artur Serobyan to restore the home side’s advantage, and less than 90 seconds later, Neves smashed in a first-time beauty from the edge of the box on the half-hour mark. Hopes of a comeback were well and truly over when Neves bent a brilliant curling free-kick in off the bar from 25 yards out to make it 4-1 four minutes before half-time, and moments after Joao Cancelo’s effort was deflected onto the post, Portugal were awarded a penalty when Ruben Dias was hauled down in the box, and Fernandes duly dispatched the subsequent spot-kick in first-half stoppage time.
Portugal’s relentless march forward continued when Fernandes swept home his side’s sixth in the 51st minute after good, determined work from Ramos, and the Manchester United captain had his third goal of the day when he scored his second penalty after substitute Carlos Forbs was felled in the area. The 104th-ranked side in the world, Armenia seemed ready to put this game behind them when Neves grabbed his hat-trick with an acrobatic finish nine minutes from the end, and substitute Francisco Conceicao made it 9-1 at the death.
GOAL rates Portugal’s players from Estadio do Dragao…
