Portugal qualify for World Cup with 9-1 thrashing of Armenia

PARIS (Agencies): Portugal thrashed Armenia 9-1 in their final Group F qualifier on Sunday to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as group toppers, with Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves leading the charge with a hat-trick each. Portugal, the reigning Nations League champions, were forced to wait to book an automatic spot when they lost 2-0 to Ireland on Thursday in a game where their captain Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off. But Portugal did not need their all-time top scorer in a one-sided match as Roberto Martinez’s side topped the group with 13 points, giving Ronaldo the opportunity to play at a record sixth World Cup. Defender Renato Veiga opened the scoring for Portugal with a close-range header in the seventh minute but they were stunned when Eduard Spertsyan converted a cross from Grant-Leon Ranos 11 minutes later. It was only Armenia’s third goal in the qualifying group having failed to score in their previous three games. However, Goncalo Ramos restored Portugal’s lead while Neves added two goals before halftime, including a superb free-kick into the top corner. Fernandes then converted a penalty in first-half added time to make it 5–1 at the break. The second half continued in the same pattern as Fernandes struck again soon after the restart. A flurry of substitutions followed but Portugal’s pressure never relented and when they earned another penalty, Fernandes completed his hat-trick. Neves then added his third goal of the night with a composed finish after Portugal hit the post while, at the other end, Diogo Costa and the Portuguese defence comfortably kept Armenia at bay. Francisco Conceicao then added the icing on the cake with a long-range strike in added time as Portugal completed the rout.