Key Takeaways:
- Portugal achieved a 9:1 victory over Armenia in Porto to secure top spot in Group F and qualify for the World Cup in North America
- Bruno Fernandes and João Neves both recorded hat-tricks, with Neves scoring his first-ever goals for the national side
- Renato Veiga, Gonçalo Ramos and Francisco Conceição were also on target, while Armenia’s lone goal came from Spertsyan
Comprehensive Match Analysis
Portugal delivered a masterclass performance in their final Group F qualifier, overpowering Armenia with a 9:1 triumph at home. The hosts, guided by Roberto Martínez, wasted no time asserting their authority, registering their first goal in the seventh minute. Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick initially forced Avagyan into a save that clipped the post, but Renato Veiga responded quickest to head in the rebound. Although the goal was checked by VAR for potential offside, it was ultimately deemed valid.
Bruno Fernandes and João Neves both dropped hat tricks in Portugal’s 9-1 win against Armenia.
Their first international hat tricks 🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/lJD6hSiskq
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 16, 2025
Armenia briefly stunned the home crowd by levelling when Ranos advanced on the right wing and sped past his marker to deliver an incisive cross, which Spertsyan steered home. Portugal, however, soon regained command and resumed their relentless attack. Despite Gonçalo Ramos spurning a clear chance, two rapid-fire goals tilted the contest. Ramos pounced on an errant Armenian back pass, rounded Avagyan and calmly restored the lead, before João Neves capped a smooth attacking move to score his maiden goal for Portugal.
Hat-Tricks and Landmark Goals
The Portuguese side displayed continued dominance as Bruno Fernandes orchestrated play superbly, threading a delightful pass to Bernardo Silva, though the Manchester City midfielder’s audacious attempt was saved. Shortly after, João Neves converted a spectacular free-kick for his second of the evening in the 41st minute. João Cancelo nearly added to the tally, rattling the post in the dying moments of the half. In stoppage time, a foul on Ramos resulted in a penalty, which was coolly dispatched by Fernandes.
Portugal maintained their high intensity after the interval. Leão tested Avagyan, and Cancelo followed up with a drive over the crossbar. By the 52nd minute, Fernandes made it six, finishing smartly after Ramos had engineered the opening. With a series of substitutions, the home side still controlled proceedings. Substitute Francisco Conceição surged forward menacingly, firing just wide, and Vitinha missed from a promising position. Carlos Forbs was then fouled, handing Fernandes another chance from the spot, which he duly converted to complete his hat-trick.
Final Moments and Key Statistics
Portugal refused to ease off, creating numerous additional opportunities. João Neves ultimately joined Fernandes by claiming his third goal – heading against the woodwork before capitalising on the rebound. Further chances were squandered by Conceição, Ramos and João Félix. Nevertheless, on the brink of full-time, Conceição capped the scoring with a composed effort, emphasising Portugal’s attacking depth.
For Armenia, Spertsyan’s goal briefly made it 1:1 before Portugal’s attacking superiority told. With this emphatic result, Portugal topped Group F and guaranteed their place at the World Cup in North America.
