In a stunning display of attacking football, the Portuguese national team has officially booked its ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The qualification was sealed on Sunday, November 16, 2025, with an emphatic 9-1 victory over Armenia at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto.
A Commanding Performance Without Their Star
Portugal achieved this monumental result even without their suspended captain and talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Al-Nassr forward was serving a one-match ban after being sent off in a surprising defeat to Ireland just days before. However, his absence was not felt, as the squad delivered one of the most dominant performances in the nation's football history.
The goals came thick and fast for Roberto Martinez's side. Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Paris Saint-Germain's Joao Neves were the heroes of the hour, each scoring a hat-trick to dismantle the Armenian defence. Renato Veiga opened the scoring, while Goncalo Ramos, Francisco Conceicao, and a penalty completed the rout.
How The Record-Breaking Match Unfolded
Portugal set the tone early, with Renato Veiga heading home in the seventh minute after the Armenian goalkeeper, Henri Avagyan, could only parry a fierce Bruno Fernandes free-kick onto the post.
Armenia managed a brief shock equalizer through their captain, Eduard Spertsyan, but that was the only resistance they could muster. From that point, Portugal shifted into an unstoppable gear. Goncalo Ramos intercepted a poor back pass to score the second, and Joao Neves then blasted home the third from the edge of the box after a neat setup from Fernandes.
Neves added a spectacular second with a sublime free-kick, and Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to make it 5-1. After the break, Fernandes added two more to secure his hat-trick, one from open play and another from the penalty spot. Neves then completed his own trio of goals, and Juventus forward Francisco Conceicao put the final exclamation point on the victory with a ninth goal in stoppage time.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 World Cup
This victory ensured Portugal finished at the top of Group F, securing their place in a seventh consecutive World Cup. Despite being the reigning European champions, the coveted World Cup trophy is the one major honour that has eluded this golden generation of Portuguese players.
Manager Roberto Martinez was delighted with his team's response after the recent setback in Ireland. "Now we can truly dream about the World Cup," he said in a post-match interview. "I was very pleased with the players' response. We're at the World Cup! Let's go, Portugal!"
Even from the sidelines, Cristiano Ronaldo shared in the celebration, writing on social media platform X, "We're at the World Cup! Let's go, Portugal!" His suspension for the start of the 2026 tournament will depend on whether FIFA decides to extend his ban.
In other Group F action, the Republic of Ireland kept their own qualification hopes alive by reaching the play-offs after a 3-2 win over Hungary, thanks to a hat-trick from Troy Parrott.
