Artyom Bandikyan: "I waited a very long time for a call-up to the Armenian national team — it’s an honor and a pride"

CSKA Moscow midfielder Artyom Bandikyan commented on his first call-up to the Armenian national team.

"Playing for the Armenian national team is an honor and a pride for me. I was very happy to receive the call-up and waited for it for a very long time. The emotions are at the highest level.

I had a conversation with head coach Yeghishe Melikyan. I won’t reveal everything, but he told me that I was called up to integrate into the squad and build relationships with the guys. I had already been with the team for 2-3 days before. I will try to understand the principles required of me and do my best to help the Armenian national team," Metaratings.ru. quotes the player as saying.

The 20-year-old Bandikyan received a call-up for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches: on November 13 against Hungary and on November 16 against Portugal. Previously, he played five matches for Armenia U21, and this season he regularly appears in CSKA’s starting lineup.

It is worth noting that Armenia head coach Yeghishe Melikyan recently attended a CSKA cup match to personally meet the player and discuss his potential role in the team.