Analysis of the readiness of the Armenian national team players for the matches against Portugal and Ireland

The Armenian National Football team prepares for key 2026 World Cup Qualifiers under new head coach Yeghishe Melikyan. On September 6, the national team will face Portugal, and on September 9, they will meet Ireland.

Ahead of these games, fans are especially interested in the current form of the Armenian players and which of them are ready to help the team in the crucial matches of the autumn. In this article, we present a detailed breakdown of every player’s condition — from goalkeepers to midfielders and forwards.

Goalkeepers

Arsen Beglaryan (Alashkert, Armenia) — played all 4 league matches, conceded only 2 goals in the opening match against Pyunik, and kept 3 consecutive clean sheets.

• Last match: vs. Noah, 2–0 win, made 2 saves.

• 17 caps for Armenia.

Henri Avagyan (Pyunik, Armenia) — featured in all of his team’s matches: 4 Conference League qualifiers and 4 league matches. Conceded 3 goals in the league with 2 clean sheets, and 5 goals in European competition.

• Last match: vs. Urartu, 1–2 defeat, made 3 saves.

• 2 caps for Armenia.

Ognjen Čančarević (Noah, Armenia) — played 8 European matches and 1 league match, conceded 13 goals in total, with 2 clean sheets.

• Last match: unused substitute vs. Alashkert (0–2).

• 19 caps for Armenia.

Defenders

Kamo Hovhannisyan (Ararat-Armenia, Armenia) — the 32-year-old right-back is in excellent form. Played all 4 Conference League qualifiers and 2 league matches. Scored in the win against Universitatea Cluj in Europe and provided an assist in the 4–2 league victory over Ararat.

• 88 caps, 3 goals — the most appearances in the current squad.

Edgar Grigoryan (Ararat-Armenia, Armenia) — left-back, played the same matches as Hovhannisyan. Registered an assist in the “Ararat derby” (4–2). Unlike Kamo, played all 6 matches without substitutions. Excellent fitness.

• 7 caps.

Georgi Harutyunyan (Puskás Akadémia, Hungary) — started only 1 of 6 league matches, made 4 substitute appearances, and was benched in the latest round. Started both Conference League games against Aris (Cyprus), playing as a defensive midfielder. His limited minutes in the league are due to Hungary’s new foreign-player quota.

• 24 caps.

Stepa Mkrtchyan (Osijek, Croatia) — 22-year-old defender has become a starter, playing 90 minutes in the first 4 league rounds. Missed the last match against Lokomotiva due to injury, putting his participation vs. Portugal and Ireland in doubt, though he joined the squad to continue recovery.

• 20 caps.

Sergey Muradyan (Noah, Armenia) — 21-year-old with the most minutes played among Armenia call-ups this season. Started all 8 European matches plus 2 league games, playing almost every minute.

• 9 caps.

Eric Piloyan (Urartu, Armenia) — 24-year-old versatile defender returns after a 1.5-year absence. Usually plays right-back but can cover centrally. Started all 5 league matches, plus 2 Conference League appearances against Neman.

• 2 caps.

Eric Simonyan (Urartu, Armenia) — 22-year-old center-back received a late call-up due to Mkrtchyan’s injury doubts. Played 3 matches this season with limited minutes. Called up before but yet to debut.

• 0 caps.

Albert Khachumyan (Ararat, Armenia) — former youth international. Last called up in 2021, playing 16 minutes in a friendly vs. Sweden. An important player for Ararat, playing 5 full league matches this season.

• 1 cap.

Nair Tiknizyan (Crvena Zvezda, Serbia) — ex-Lokomotiv Moscow player became a starter immediately after joining the Serbian champions. Played all 6 Champions League qualifiers without rest, while being rotated in the domestic league (2 matches). Did not feature in the last league match, arriving well-rested for Armenia.

• 22 caps, 1 goal.

Midfielders

Ugochukwu Iwu (Rubin, Russia) — Armenia’s main defensive midfielder is in top form after injury troubles last season. Played all 7 Russian league matches without substitution, providing 2 assists.

• 17 caps.

Narek Aghasaryan (Urartu, Armenia) — debutant. 24-year-old dynamic midfielder, one of Urartu’s leaders for 3 seasons. Played every league match and both Conference League qualifiers against Neman. His shot led to the winning goal vs. Pyunik.

• 0 caps.

Daniel Aghbalyan (Pyunik, Armenia) — debuted in June friendlies with a strong performance vs. Montenegro (2–2). Recently moved from BKMA to Pyunik, where he became a regular. Provided an assist in the 2–0 win over Ararat. Played both league and European matches, sometimes off the bench. Backup option for Iwu.

• 1 cap.

Hovhannes Harutyunyan (Noah, Armenia) — transferred from Ararat-Armenia this summer. Played little in Europe but scored the winner vs. Olimpija after coming on. Started all 3 league matches, registering 1 assist.

• 16 caps.

Artak Dashyan (Noah, Armenia) — 35-year-old midfielder recovered from injury. Limited appearances in Europe, more minutes in the league, including one start.

• 27 caps, 2 goals.

Gor Manvelyan (Noah, Armenia) — improving gradually, competing with Moroccan Ulad Omar for a spot. Played 8 matches, scoring 1 goal.

Eduard Spertsyan (Krasnodar, Russia) — Russia’s reigning champion in excellent form: 5 goals and 8 assists at the start of the season. His club leads the league. Armenia’s main creative force.

• 34 caps, 9 goals.

Karen Nalbandyan (Alashkert, Armenia) — 23-year-old finally earned a call-up. Scored 9 goals and 9 assists last season as Alashkert captain, and already has 2 goals this year. Played all 4 league matches, including an excellent performance vs. Noah (2–0).

• 0 caps.

Forwards / Wingers

Lucas Zelarayán (Belgrano, Argentina) — captain and leader of Belgrano. Playing better in the Clausura than in the Apertura. Played all 6 matches, scoring 2 goals. Arrived in Yerevan on September 3, in time to recover for the Portugal match.

• 22 caps, 5 goals.

Jiraiyr Shagjoyan (Ararat-Armenia, Armenia) — 24-year-old pacey winger, a starter this season. Played all 4 Conference League qualifiers and 3 league matches, recording 1 assist.

• 17 caps, 1 goal.

Artur Serobyan (Ararat-Armenia, Armenia) — 22-year-old winger returned from Sheriff loan, where he played 10 matches, scoring twice (league and Europe). Hasn’t yet played for Ararat this season. Last appearance was August 7 vs. Anderlecht.

• 21 caps.

Tigran Barseghyan (Slovan, Slovakia) — 31-year-old team leader, slightly less prolific this season but still vital. Played 10 matches (8 in Europe), with 2 goals and 3 assists. Back in the squad after missing June friendlies.

• 60 caps, 9 goals.

Vahan Bichakhchyan (Legia, Poland) — earned a starting role at Legia. Scored against Hibernian and Aktobe in Conference League qualifiers, provided an assist vs. AEK. Less active in the domestic league but still contributing. Missed June matches due to injury but now fully fit.

• 42 caps, 5 goals.

Edgar Sevikyan (Ferencváros, Hungary) — returned from loan at Lokomotiv Moscow but has struggled for minutes. Played only 2 matches (11 minutes each), including vs. Noah in Europe. Match fitness uncertain, but motivated to prove himself.

• 17 caps, 2 goals.

Grant-Leon Ranos (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany) — back from a poor loan spell at Kaiserslautern. Strong preseason but little playing time so far (5 minutes each in league and cup). Known for his national team heroics, including a brace vs. Wales. Missed June matches due to issues with the former coach.

• 17 caps, 4 goals.

Overall Assessment of Armenia’s Squad

The roster for the matches vs. Portugal and Ireland looks fairly balanced, though there are concerns over the fitness of certain players. The goalkeeping department is reliable with Beglaryan and Avagyan in form, and Čančarević adding depth.

Defense is less certain: full-backs Kamo Hovhannisyan and Nair Tiknizyan are in excellent shape, but Mkrtchyan’s injury raises doubts, and Harutyunyan has played less often — and in midfield. Muradyan is stable, while Piloyan, Simonyan, and Khachumyan lack international experience. The absence of former captain Varazdat Haroyan, who retired from international football, leaves a big gap.

Midfield balance looks good: Iwu is back to his best, Spertsyan is the creative centerpiece, and newcomers like Agasaryan, Agbalan, and Nalbandyan add depth. Veterans like Dashyan and Harutyunyan bring stability.

In attack, the staff have many options: experienced leaders Barseghyan and Bichakhchyan, returning stars like Zelarayán and Ranos. Concerns remain over Sevikyan’s and Serobyan’s playing time, and the squad lacks a true center-forward to hold up play. Injured Norberto Briasco Balekian was meant to fill that role, but no replacement was called up — not even Artur Miranyan, who recently scored his debut goal in Israel.

Overall, Armenia approach the autumn matches in decent form: the leaders are performing well, newcomers add freshness, and the key task for Melikyan’s staff will be to maximize each player’s strengths. Against Ireland, Armenia have every chance to compete. Against Portugal, they’ll need a miracle.

Probable Armenia Squad

This is not a predicted lineup, but rather the pool of players available for the upcoming matches. Since these will be Yeghishe Melikyan’s first games in charge, it is unclear which system he will use. At Pyunik, he often employed a 5-defender setup against strong opponents.