Portugal delivered a stunning 9-1 victory over Armenia on Sunday in Porto, securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals, even without suspended talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Neves both netted hat-tricks as Portugal dominated Group F, with Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos, and Francisco Conceicao also on the scoresheet.
After a draw in Hungary in October and a shock defeat to Ireland—where Ronaldo was sent off—Portugal wrapped up qualification at their third attempt in their final group match. The Euro 2016 champions will now appear in a seventh consecutive World Cup.
“We always want to win convincingly and control the game. Today we were effective and achieved a great victory,” Fernandes said.
Portugal got off to a fast start in the seventh minute when Veiga headed home Fernandes’s inswinging free-kick rebound. Armenia stunned the hosts briefly by equalizing on their first attack through Eduard Spertsyan, but Portugal quickly regained control. Ramos intercepted a back pass to score Portugal’s second, followed by Neves’s first goal after a well-worked move from Fernandes.
Neves added a spectacular free-kick for Portugal’s third, and Fernandes converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time after Ruben Dias was fouled.
In the second half, Fernandes continued his fine form, scoring twice more, including a penalty to complete his hat-trick. Neves added his third, and Conceicao capped the rout in stoppage time, completing one of Portugal’s largest victories ever.
“Now we can truly dream about the World Cup. I was very pleased with the players’ response after the Ireland defeat,” said coach Roberto Martinez.
Ronaldo, who could miss the start of the tournament if FIFA extends his suspension beyond the one match served against Armenia, celebrated qualification on social media: “We’re at the World Cup! Let’s go, Portugal!”
Elsewhere in Group F, Ireland stunned Hungary 3-2 with a late winner, with Troy Parrott completing a hat-trick after scoring twice against Portugal midweek to reach the play-offs.
AFP
