Portugal secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup finals by defeating Armenia 9-1, even without their star player Cristiano Ronaldo who was suspended. Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United and Joao Neves from Paris Saint-Germain each scored hat-tricks, leading Portugal to victory in Porto and topping Group F. Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos, and Francisco Conceicao also contributed goals for the Portuguese team.
Despite a draw in Hungary and a surprise loss in Ireland where Ronaldo was red-carded, Portugal managed to qualify in their final group match. This will mark their seventh consecutive appearance in the World Cup, with the Euro 2016 champions still aiming for their first title. Fernandes played a crucial role for Portugal, scoring early in the seventh minute with a powerful free-kick that Veiga converted the rebound from.
Armenia briefly equalized, but Portugal quickly regained control with Ramos and Neves extending the lead. Neves scored a stunning free-kick, while Fernandes added two more goals before completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot. Neves and Conceicao also found the back of the net, securing one of Portugal’s most significant victories. In the same group, Ireland defeated Hungary 3-2, with Troy Parrott scoring a hat-trick to advance to the play-offs after his impressive performance against Portugal.