Narek Aghasaryan Apologizes to Fans for 1-9 Defeat to Portugal

Narek Aghasaryan, a midfielder for the Armenian national team and Yerevan's "Urartu," shared his thoughts after the crushing 1-9 defeat to the Portuguese national team in the final 2026 World Cup qualifier match. This game marked the debut in the starting lineup for the 24-year-old footballer.

On the Long-Awaited Debut

Narek Aghasaryan did not hide his emotions regarding his first appearance in the national team's starting lineup. According to him, it was an event he had been eagerly awaiting. "I really wanted to be in the Armenian national team's starting lineup and waited a long time for this moment. I think it is a great honor for every footballer to wear their national team's jersey and take the field as a starter. I wasn't nervous, only had the desire to play for the Armenian national team. I waited a long time for this," Aghasaryan noted in a post-match interview.

Apology for the Result

However, the joy of the debut was overshadowed by the catastrophic scoreline. The midfielder apologized to the fans for the heavy defeat. "I am very sorry for this result, and I want to apologize to the fans for the loss in Portugal. I can't say exactly what went wrong for the Armenian national team in the game. At some point, the game went in the wrong direction and such a result happened," the footballer explained, adding that Armenia was playing against one of the strongest teams in the world. — "We must understand that we were playing against one of the best national teams in the world, one that is in the top-3."

Looking Ahead

Despite the bitter defeat, Aghasaryan emphasized that the team maintains faith in the coaching staff and is ready to work on their mistakes. "I agree that the defeat was painful. We know which direction we are moving in. The team trusts the coach, and we are preparing to perform even better in the upcoming matches and give our fans positive emotions," Narek Aghasaryan concluded. The Armenian national team finished the 2026 World Cup qualifying cycle in last place in Group F with 3 points.