Armenia National Team Loses 0:1 to Hungary; Ronaldo Will Miss Final Match
In the penultimate match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Armenian national team was defeated by Hungary with a score of 0:1 in Yerevan.
The national team played without four key players, which resulted in a somewhat altered game for the squad. The Hungarian team adopted an active and aggressive style from the start, demonstrating that they came to Yerevan exclusively with the goal of winning. In the first half, the Armenian team preferred a counter-attacking tactic and played organized defense. However, in the 33rd minute, Barnabás Varga opened the scoring with a header, sending the ball into the net guarded by Henri Avagyan.
The Armenian national team significantly stepped up its game in the second half. Eduard Spertsyan’s and Nair Tiknizyan’s shots were dangerous, narrowly missing the goal. Despite the active play, our team could not avoid defeat.
Armenia’s national team will play its final group match on November 16, facing the Portugal national team in an away game.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of the Portugal national team, will not participate in that match. In the previous game, Portugal lost 0:2 in Ireland, and Ronaldo received a red card, resulting in his disqualification for the final match against Armenia.
The tournament table is currently led by Portugal with 10 points. Hungary has 8 points, Ireland has 7, and Armenia has 3.
After the match, Head Coach Yegishe Melikyan stated at a press conference that he was satisfied with the team.
“There is unity and team spirit in the team. We have started to fight until the end and understand what we want. The team is aware of its actions on the field, which is important for the future. We are a young team with a future. This match showed that no one has a guaranteed place in the starting lineup. The most painful thing is that we cannot collect points. I thank our fans for their conscientious attitude.”