Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick as Portugal secured their place at the 2026 World Cup with a dominant 9-1 victory over Armenia at the Estadio do Dragao. The Manchester United midfielder netted Portugal's fifth, sixth and seventh goals in the emphatic win.
The result came after Portugal's shock 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Thursday, a match in which Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for violent conduct. The suspension ruled Ronaldo out of Sunday's qualifier, but Fernandes stepped up to lead the team to victory.
Fernandes downplayed his individual performance, stating: 'I think I've played much more complete games than this one. The difference is that today I scored, and in the others I didn't. When a player scores goals, it gets noticed, but that's not my objective.'
Cristiano Ronaldo, who had returned to Saudi Arabia earlier in the week, celebrated Portugal's qualification on social media, writing: 'We're in the World Cup. Let's go, Portugal.'
Portugal finished their qualifying campaign with four wins from six matches, losing to the Republic of Ireland and drawing with Hungary. The Portuguese Football Federation is expected to appeal Ronaldo's suspension, which could see him miss the start of the World Cup.
