Neves and Fernandes Shine in Portugal’s Nine-Goal Masterclass
Portugal 9-1 Armenia: Seleção Seal World Cup Qualification with Emphatic Victory
Portugal booked their place at a seventh consecutive FIFA World Cup in spectacular fashion, dismantling Armenia 9-1 in a qualification group finale that showcased the depth and quality of Roberto Martínez’s squad. João Neves and Bruno Fernandes both claimed hat-tricks in a performance that will live long in the memory of the home faithful.
Early Setback Quickly Forgotten
The Seleção arrived at this crucial encounter still smarting from a surprise 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland, their first loss of the campaign. But any concerns about complacency were swiftly addressed when Renato Veiga nodded home from close range in the seventh minute, reacting quickest after Fernandes’ free-kick was parried into his path.
Armenia, rooted to the bottom of the group, threatened to spoil the party when Eduard Spertsyan bundled home an equaliser with their first meaningful attack. Grant-Leon Ranos muscled past Veiga before picking out Spertsyan, whose scrappy finish served as a momentary wake-up call for the hosts.
Portuguese Machine Shifts Into High Gear
The response was immediate and devastating. Gonçalo Ramos, deputising for the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, pounced on a woeful backpass from Artur Serobyan, rounded goalkeeper Henri Avagyan with composure beyond his years, and calmly slotted home his tenth international goal.
What followed was a masterclass in high-intensity football. Portugal’s relentless pressing forced another turnover high up the pitch, with the subsequent interplay carved open the Armenian defense before João Neves finished expertly from the edge of the box. The young midfielder wasn’t done there-moments later, he produced the goal of the afternoon, bending an outrageous free-kick into the top corner via the crossbar, leaving Avagyan rooted to the spot.
As halftime approached, João Cancelo’s deflected effort rattled the woodwork, but Portugal’s fifth arrived from the penalty spot. Bruno Fernandes coolly converted after Karen Muradyan hauled down Rúben Dias, sending the home side into the break with a commanding 5-1 advantage.
No Mercy After the Interval
If Armenia hoped for respite in the second half, they were sorely disappointed. Just seven minutes after the restart, Fernandes swept home Portugal’s sixth following another slick move. The Manchester United midfielder completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute after debutant Carlos Forbs-wearing the iconic number seven shirt-was brought down by Muradyan for a second penalty concession.
Neves matched his midfield partner’s treble nine minutes later, guiding home Portugal’s eighth with the clinical finishing that had characterized the entire performance. Substitute Francisco Conceição added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time, equalling Portugal’s record tally with a composed ninth goal that completed the rout.
Looking Ahead
The comprehensive victory extended Portugal’s unbeaten run against Armenia to eight matches and marked their seventh win in eight home fixtures under Martínez. More importantly, it secured automatic qualification for next summer’s World Cup, where the Seleção will be among the favorites despite Ronaldo’s absence for the opening match due to his red card against Ireland.
For Yegishe Melikyan’s Armenia, this heavy defeat leaves them with just one victory in their last ten outings, a stark reminder of the gulf in class at international level.
As Portugal’s attention now turns fully to World Cup preparations, performances like this-with emerging stars like Neves and established names like Fernandes firing on all cylinders-will give Martínez plenty of reasons for optimism about the tournament ahead.