Styopa Mkrtchyan — the best player of the Armenian national team in the match against Hungary

Armenia national team defender Styopa Mkrtchyan was rated the team’s best player by SofaScore in the 2026 World Cup qualifying Round 5 match against Hungary (0:1). Despite the defeat, the 22-year-old delivered a confident performance and was one of the most noticeable players on the pitch.

Hungary’s main threat traditionally comes from Dominik Szoboszlai’s crosses and Barnabás Varga’s aerial presence. The Armenian team was well prepared for this aspect, and Mkrtchyan played a major role in neutralizing the opponent’s strengths. However, the one moment when Varga was left unmarked turned out to be fatal: after Szoboszlai’s delivery, the striker scored the decisive goal. That was Mkrtchyan’s only positional mistake of the match — and unfortunately, it led to the conceded goal.

In all other aspects the defender was nearly flawless: strong in duels, smart in positioning, active in challenges, and precise in his forward passes to start attacking plays.

The match took place on November 13 in Yerevan. The defeat ended Armenia’s chances of advancing from the group. In the final round, Yegishe Melikyan’s team will face Portugal — the match will be held on November 16 in Porto.

Styopa Mkrtchyan’s stats vs Hungary:

• Minutes played: 90+
• Tackles: 3
• Clearances: 5
• Blocks: 3
• Duels won: 6 of 9
• Aerial duels: 2 of 4
• Fouls committed: 3
• Fouls drawn: 3
• Ball losses: 3
• Accurate passes: 43 (93%)
• SofaScore rating: 7.6

Mkrtchyan reaffirmed his status as one of Armenia’s most promising defenders, showing a high level of performance even against a strong opponent.

Player ratings for Armenia vs Hungary (0:1):