The Boys Are Not Yet Psychologically Prepared for This Level of Play, Says Yeghishe Melikyan

We lost due to individual mistakes; the boys are not yet psychologically prepared for this level of matches, stated Armenia's national team head coach Yeghishe Melikyan after the team's 9-1 defeat against Portugal.

“We are in a very bad mood, but we must work hard; we will become stronger and more experienced for our future,” he noted.

Recall that in the last, 6th round of Group F of the European qualification phase for the 2026 World Cup, the Armenian national team faced the Portuguese team at the Dragão Stadium in Porto. The match ended in favor of Portugal with a score of 9-1.

João Neves and Bruno Fernandes each scored a hat-trick, while Renatou Veiga, Gonçalo Ramos, and Francisco Conceição added one goal each. The only goal for the Armenian national team was scored by Eduard Spertsyan.

Portugal earned 13 points in Group F, directly qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, while Armenia finished the group with 3 points.