In a stunning display of football prowess, Portugal secured their place in the 2026 World Cup finals with a resounding 9-1 victory over Armenia in Porto on Sunday. Despite the absence of suspended star Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese team delivered a commanding performance, led by hat-tricks from Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves. The match marked Portugal’s third attempt to clinch qualification after a draw in Hungary and a surprising defeat in Ireland earlier in the week. Renato Veiga opened the scoring in the seventh minute, followed by goals from Goncalo Ramos, Francisco Conceicao, and a series of strikes from Fernandes and Neves. Armenia briefly equalized through Eduard Spertsyan, but Portugal quickly regained control, building an unassailable lead. Fernandes, who played a pivotal role throughout the match, netted his 28th goal for Portugal, cementing his place as the country’s sixth-highest goalscorer. Neves, scoring his first goals for the national team, expressed his joy while emphasizing the team’s collective effort. Juventus forward Conceicao sealed the historic win with a stoppage-time goal. Manager Roberto Martinez praised his team’s response after the Ireland defeat, while Ronaldo, who could miss the start of the tournament due to suspension, celebrated the qualification on social media. In other Group F action, Ireland secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Hungary, with Troy Parrott scoring a hat-trick to advance to the play-offs.