The captain was expelled against the Republic of Ireland.
Cristiano Ronaldo was dismissed from the National Team. The forward was sent off in the 0-2 defeat against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin and, therefore, could not be an option for Roberto Martínez in the match against Armenia. CR7 was sent off for the first time with the National Team. It happened in his 226th game wearing the jersey.
Thus, the captain of the National Team will not be present at the decisive match, in which Portugal could stamp its ticket to the 2026 World Cup. With the defeat in Dublin, Roberto Martínez's charges postponed their decisions until the last round.
For the National Team to already stamp its passport for the 2026 World Cup, a victory is enough. In case of a draw, it only runs the risk of finishing second if Hungary beats Ireland by more than three goals. If the Hungarians win, and even in the event of Portugal drawing with Armenia, both teams will have 11 points and then goal difference will make the difference. At the moment, the National Team has a positive goal difference of +5 and Hungary has +2.
Portugal leads Group F, with 10 points, two more than Hungary, the second-placed team, followed by the Republic of Ireland, with seven, and Armenia, with three.