In what condition will Cristiano Ronaldo arrive in Yerevan for the Armenia-Portugal match

On September 6 in Yerevan, the first round match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Group F will take place: Armenia vs. Portugal. Tickets for the game were sold out almost instantly, largely thanks to the upcoming arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Why the match has special significance

This game will be Portugal’s first official match after the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota. The players will dedicate the qualification campaign to his memory. Jota’s close friend Rúben Neves stated that the team must win the World Cup for him.
A tribute is also planned in Yerevan: in the 20th and 21st minutes, fans will stand and applaud (Jota wore No. 20 at Liverpool and No. 21 for the national team).

Of course, much attention will be focused on Portugal’s captain — Cristiano Ronaldo. It is largely because of him that tickets for the match sold out within an hour.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s form ahead of his trip to Yerevan

The 40-year-old Portugal captain continues to impress with his excellent physical condition.

• On August 19, Al-Nassr played their first official match of the season in the Saudi Super Cup against Al-Ittihad. Ronaldo played 89 minutes and provided an assist for João Félix.

• In preseason friendlies, he scored 6 goals: a hat-trick against Rio Ave, a brace against Almería, and one goal against Toulouse.

• In the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League, Cristiano scored against Spain and Germany, and Portugal went on to win the tournament. These matches were held in June 2025.

In his last 8 matches at club and national level, Ronaldo recorded 10 goals and 1 assist. Before traveling to Yerevan, he will play two more games for Al-Nassr — against Al-Ahli (August 23) and Al-Taawoun (August 29).

UPDATED 23 August: Ronaldo played the full match in the Super Cup final against Al Ahly and scored a goal, but Al Ahly won on penalties. The Portuguese now has 11 goals and one assist in his last nine matches.

At 40 years old, Ronaldo is still highly motivated and hungry for goals. Of course, his pace is no longer what it once was, but he has started to play more for the team.

Ronaldo’s record against Armenia

Armenia is a familiar opponent for Ronaldo. He has faced them 4 times and scored 5 goals:

• August 2007, Yerevan — 1:1 (Ronaldo scored).
• November 2011, Yerevan — 1:0 for Portugal.
• November 2014, Lisbon — 1:0, winning goal by Ronaldo.
• June 2015, Yerevan — 3:2, Cristiano scored a hat-trick.

Thus, Armenia is one of Ronaldo’s “favorite” opponents — he scores almost every time against them.

World football stars who have already played in Yerevan

Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in Armenia is a special event, but he is far from the first world-class footballer to set foot on the Yerevan pitch.

Ronaldo has already played in Yerevan three times, but the last time was 9 years ago, and Armenian fans have missed him. Moreover, stars of his caliber do not often come to Armenia. Even Henrikh Mkhitaryan last played in Yerevan 4 years ago.

Let’s recall other top players who visited Yerevan recently:

• Luka Modrić (Croatia) — September 2023.
   
• Thomas Müller (Germany) — November 2021. In that German team it was hard to single out one player, but in Manuel Neuer’s absence, Müller was the brightest star.
   
• Robert Lewandowski (Poland) — October 2017.


• And of course, Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) — June 2015.

There was also a match against Italy in 2019, but that squad didn’t feature a standout star, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia didn’t play in Georgia’s two matches in Yerevan.

What to expect from Armenia

Armenia also approaches the match with fighting spirit. Backed by a packed Yerevan stadium, the team will try to challenge the favorite. The main hopes rest on midfielder Eduard Spertsyan and forward Tigran Barseghyan.

The Armenian national team has a new head coach, Yeghishe Melikyan, and new ambitions.

Predictions and expectations

Portugal will come to Yerevan fully motivated, and Cristiano Ronaldo is in excellent form. According to experts, Portugal are the favorites, but Armenia at home has shown it can cause problems even for top teams. The head-to-head history with Portugal gives the hosts some optimism:

• Armenia – Portugal 0:0 | 1996
• Portugal – Armenia 3:1 | 1997
• Armenia – Portugal 1:1 | 2007
• Portugal – Armenia 1:0 | 2007
• Portugal – Armenia 1:0 | 2014
• Armenia – Portugal 2:3 | 2015

Let’s not forget that on September 9 in Yerevan, Armenia will also face Ireland. Tickets for that match are still on sale.