Portugal dominate Armenia 9-1 to secure FIFA World Cup 2026 spot

Portugal produced one of the most one-sided nights in World Cup qualifying history on Sunday, thrashing Armenia 9-1 at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto to clinch top spot in UEFA Group F and seal their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The victory came just days after a shock 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland that saw captain Cristiano Ronaldo sent off. Without their talisman, Roberto Martinez’s men answered every question with a ruthless display, scoring nine goals and handing Ronaldo the chance to appear at a record-extending sixth World Cup next summer.

Defender Renato Veiga gave Portugal the perfect start with a seventh-minute header, but Armenia stunned the home crowd when Eduard Spertsyan equalised in the 18th minute, only their third goal of the entire campaign.

Any hopes of an upset vanished immediately. Gonçalo Ramos restored the lead, Neves struck twice, including a stunning free-kick into the top corner – and Fernandes converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to make it 5-1 at the break.

The second half was pure domination. Fernandes completed his hat-trick with two more clinical finishes, including another spot-kick. Neves calmly added his third, and substitute Francisco Conceição rounded off the scoring with a spectacular long-range drive in added time.

1986 – Group stage

2002 – Group stage

2006 – Fourth place

2010 – Round of 16

2014 – Group stage

2018 – Round of 16

2022 – Quarterfinals

This latest qualification extends Portugal’s incredible streak to seven consecutive World Cup appearances. With an expanded 48-team tournament awaiting in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the Seleção will fancy their chances of going deep, especially if Ronaldo rolls back the years once more.

For now, Roberto Martinez’s side has sent a deafening message to the rest of Europe: even without CR7, Portugal remain a terrifying attacking force.