Ugochukwu Iwu will miss Armenia’s national team matches against Hungary and Portugal

The Armenian national team has suffered a serious loss ahead of the decisive 2026 World Cup qualifying matches. Rubin Kazan and Armenian national team midfielder Ugochukwu Iwu will not be able to take part in the matches against Hungary (November 13) and Portugal (November 16) due to an injury.

This is the second match in a row in which the player has struggled with health issues. In the 15th round of the Russian Premier League against Pari NN, Iwu spent 81 minutes on the field before being forced to leave due to an injury. The medical staff of Rubin and the national team confirmed that recovery will take time, and the player will not be able to join Yeghishe Melikyan’s squad for the upcoming training camp.

Iwu is one of the key players of the national team: he started in every previous qualifying match and played an important role in organizing the team's play in midfield.

In Iwu’s absence, his position may be taken by midfielders Karen Muradyan (Ararat-Armenia) or Narek Agasaryan (Urartu).

The matches against Hungary and Portugal will be crucial in determining Armenia’s further chances in the qualifying cycle.