Portugal stormed into the 2026 World Cup with a statement victory, smashing Armenia in a one-sided goal fest powered by hat-tricks from Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves.
Renato Veiga opened the scoring early with a sharp header, but Armenia briefly levelled through Eduard Spertsyan before Portugal shifted into top gear. Gonçalo Ramos restored the lead, Neves struck twice, including a superb free-kick and Fernandes buried a penalty to make it 5–1 by half-time.
The dominance continued after the break as Fernandes fired home a low drive and converted another penalty before Neves completed his hat-trick with a tidy finish. Francisco Conceição added the ninth in stoppage time to cap a ruthless performance.
Portugal secure automatic qualification in style, though captain Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the first two matches of the World Cup due to suspension following his red card against Ireland.
