Portugal need a result against Armenia on Sunday afternoon if they’re to guarantee their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Roberto Martinez’s side are making a bit of a hash of qualifying. After a strong start that saw them record three-straight wins, Portugal have been held by Hungary and beaten by the Republic of Ireland in their previous two outings.
Thursday night was a special occasion for the Irish but a somber night for the 2016 European champions, who were thoroughly outfought by their hosts and had captain Cristiano Ronaldo sent off on the hour mark for an elbow on Dara O’Shea. It was the first dismissal of his storied international career.
Their defeat and Hungary’s 1–0 win over Armenia means the Iberians now boast just a two-point lead at the summit with one matchday remaining. Fortunately, they thumped their upcoming opponents 5–0 in the reverse fixture back in September, and should be expected to cruise again against a team that has won just one of their five qualifiers so far.
There will be changes in attack for the hosts, with the ubiquitous Ronaldo absent on Sunday due to his red card suspension. Paris Saint-Germain forward Gonçalo Ramos is the most likely alternative to replace the 40-year-old.
Pedro Neto is out of action this month due to a groin issue, and Martinez should jazz up his frontline by bringing in Rafael Leão for João Félix down the left. The former has been in fine form for Milan as of late, and carries far more of a threat than the former Benfica hotshot.
António Silva could come in to partner Rúben Dias at center back, with Sporting CP defender Gonçalo Inácio dropping out. Despite their poor performance on Thursday, the midfield three should be retained.
Nuno Mendes is a big miss down the left-hand side due to a knee issue, with Martinez turning to Diogo Dalot for 90 minutes against Ireland.
Despite losing slenderly to Hungary last time out, Armenia could roll with a similar starting XI in Porto.
Henri Avagyan has usurped Ognjen Čančarević as their No. 1 between the posts, and the 29-year-old will keep his place on Sunday.
There are no fresh injuries from Thursday’s defeat, and in the absence of star names, the visitors will turn to captain and leading scorer Eduard Spertsyan for inspiration against one of the world’s best.
