Overview
- Portugal crushed Armenia 9-1 at Estádio do Dragão to clinch a place at the 2026 World Cup, powered by hat-tricks from Bruno Fernandes and João Neves.
- Cristiano Ronaldo did not play as he served the automatic one-match ban from his straight red card against Ireland, the first sending-off of his Portugal career.
- FIFA has opened a disciplinary case on the red card, and the Portuguese federation is filing a formal submission led with input from Pedro Proença to prevent a multi-game suspension.
- The FPF’s defense centers on three mitigating points: pre-match provocation, Ronaldo’s frequent rough treatment in the box, and his clean red-card record with the national team.
- Roberto Martínez praised the team’s response and depth, as debutant Carlos Forbs wore the No. 7 and Portugal again hit nine goals without Ronaldo, while local media sharply criticized the captain’s conduct.