Portugal delivered a spectacular performance without their suspended captain Cristiano Ronaldo, crushing Armenia 9-1 in a stunning display of attacking football that secured their qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Fernandes Shines in Ronaldo's Absence
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes stepped up magnificently in Porto's Estádio do Dragão, netting three goals in a man-of-the-match performance that demonstrated Portugal's strength in depth. Deployed in his preferred number 10 role rather than the deeper midfield position he often occupies for his club, Fernandes looked completely at home orchestrating Portugal's attack.
The 31-year-old playmaker had missed Portugal's surprising 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Thursday through suspension - a match that saw Ronaldo sent off - but made amends in spectacular fashion on Sunday with his first international hat-trick.
Match Breakdown: From Early Scare to Dominant Victory
Portugal opened the scoring in the 7th minute through defender Renato Veiga's header, but suffered a shock equaliser when Eduard Spertsyan converted Grant-Leon Ranos's cross just 11 minutes later. This marked only Armenia's third goal in the entire qualification campaign, having failed to score in their three previous matches.
Gonçalo Ramos restored Portugal's advantage in the 28th minute, setting the stage for what would become a goal fest. Fernandes then took centre stage, converting a penalty just before halftime after Rubén Dias was fouled in the area, making it 5-1.
Six minutes after the restart, Fernandes doubled his personal tally with a low driven shot, before completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute following a foul on Carlos Forbs.
Neves Matches Fernandes's Achievement
Remarkably, Fernandes faced competition for the match ball from teammate Joao Neves, who also scored a hat-trick against the overwhelmed Armenian defence. Neves's impressive performance included a beautifully taken free-kick that served as Portugal's fourth goal of the afternoon.
The scoring wasn't complete until injury time, when Francisco Conceicao added a spectacular long-range effort to cap off a memorable afternoon for the Portuguese supporters.
World Cup Qualification Secured
This comprehensive victory ensures Portugal top Group F with 13 points from six matches and can now begin planning for next year's World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
"The most important thing was qualifying for the World Cup," an delighted Neves told RTP after the match, having scored his first senior international goals. "For me, as I always say, the team is always above individual achievements."
"I'm very happy to have scored my first goal for the national team, and also the second and third," Neves added. "I'm happy to be able to share the pitch with great players and a great team."
The result demonstrates Portugal's formidable attacking options even without their record goalscorer Ronaldo, sending a strong message to their rivals ahead of next year's global tournament.
