World Cup Qualifying Roundup: Portugal Qualify With 9-1 Rout Of Armenia

9 hours ago

Portugal qualified for nan 2026 World Cup connected Sunday pinch a 9-1 hammering of Armenia successful Porto that included hat-tricks from some Bruno Fernandes and João Neves. The reigning Nations League champions were forced to hold to book an automatic spot aft losing 2-0 to nan Republic of Ireland connected Thursday successful a crippled wherever their skipper Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off.

However, Roberto Martínez’s broadside needed nary thief from their all-time apical scorer successful a one-sided lucifer that assured them apical spot successful Group F pinch 13 points, giving Ronaldo nan opportunity to play astatine a grounds sixth World Cup.

“The astir important point was qualifying for nan World Cup. For me, arsenic I ever say, nan squad ever comes earlier nan individual,” Neves told RTP aft opening his relationship for Portugal. “I’m very happy to person scored my first extremity for nan nationalist team, and my 2nd and 3rd arsenic well. I’m happy to beryllium capable to stock nan transportation pinch awesome players and a awesome team.“

Portugal opened nan scoring erstwhile defender Renato Veiga scored a close-range header successful nan seventh infinitesimal but they were stunned erstwhile Eduard Spertsyan converted a transverse from Grant-Leon Ranos 11 minutes later. It was only Armenia’s 3rd extremity successful nan qualifying group having grounded to people successful their erstwhile 3 games.

However, immoderate hopes of an upset were quickly extinguished arsenic Gonçalo Ramos restored Portugal’s lead while Neves added 2 goals earlier half-time, including a superb free-kick into nan apical corner. Fernandes past converted a punishment successful first-half added clip to make it 5-1 astatine nan break.

The 2nd half continued successful nan aforesaid shape arsenic Fernandes struck again soon aft nan restart aft he was group up by Ramos. A flurry of substitutions followed but Portugal’s unit ne'er relented and erstwhile they earned different penalty, Fernandes completed his hat-trick.

Neves past added his 3rd extremity of nan nighttime pinch a composed decorativeness aft Portugal deed nan station while, astatine nan different end, goalkeeper Diogo Costa and nan Portuguese defence comfortably kept Armenia astatine bay.

Francisco Conceição past added nan icing connected nan barroom pinch a long-range onslaught successful added clip arsenic Portugal completed nan rout.

Armenia goalkeeper Henri Avagyan lies chest-down connected nan turf aft Bruno Fernandes scores Portugal’s sixth goal.

“We person a young squad and we are not fresh to play against teams arsenic powerful arsenic Portugal. After games for illustration this, we will beryllium stronger successful nan future,” Armenia coach Yegishe Melikyan said. “We made mistakes that mentally collapsed our squad and we were not expecting nan errors that occurred for Portugal’s 2nd and 3rd goals. We aren’t yet mentally prepared for these sorts of games.” Ireland vanished 2nd successful nan group pinch 10 points to clinch a playoff berth aft they hit Hungary 3-2 pinch a last-gasp extremity successful nan sixth infinitesimal of added time.

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Later successful nan day, Ukraine big Iceland successful Warsaw, needing a triumph to overtake their opponents for nan guaranteed playoff spot successful Group D. France, who clinched nan conception connected Thursday, are distant to Azerbaijan. England, nan Group K winners, are distant to Albania, nan runners-up.

In nan nighttime matches, Norway will complete nan formality of qualification by avoiding a nine-goal conclusion distant to Italy astatine San Siro. Elsewhere, Nigeria and nan Democratic Republic of nan Congo meet successful Morocco to determine which African squad enters March’s intercontinental playoffs.