If you just look at the raw numbers, things look pretty rough for the Havakakan right now. Honestly, "rough" might be an understatement if you’re staring at the Armenia national football team standings after that brutal 9-1 loss to Portugal in November 2025. You’ve probably seen the table: Armenia sitting at the bottom of Group F with just 3 points from six matches. It’s the kind of visual that makes casual fans look away and die-hard supporters start arguing about the coach on Facebook.
But football in the Caucasus is never just about the scoreboard.
Under Yeghishe Melikyan, who took over in August 2025, the team is basically in the middle of a messy, painful, but necessary identity shift. They’re trying to move away from the "park the bus and pray" tactics of the past toward something more aggressive. It hasn't clicked yet—obviously—but if you dig into the actual performances against teams that aren't named Portugal, there’s a weirdly optimistic story hidden under those lopsided stats.
The Brutal Reality of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Let’s get the math out of the way first because it’s the elephant in the room. In the UEFA qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Armenia is currently stuck in a Group F that feels more like a gauntlet.
Group F Standings (As of Late 2025):
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- Portugal: 13 points (Dominating, as expected)
- Republic of Ireland: 10 points
- Hungary: 8 points
- Armenia: 3 points
The only win so far came in a gritty 2-1 victory over Ireland back in September 2025. That match was actually a glimpse of what Melikyan wants to do. Eduard Spertsyan and Grant-Leon Ranos both found the net, and for about 90 minutes, the team looked like they actually belonged on the big stage.
Then came the return legs.
Losing 1-0 to Ireland in Dublin was a heartbreaker, especially after Tigran Barseghyan saw red in the 52nd minute. You can't really expect a team like Armenia to hold off a physical Irish side for nearly a half with ten men. The losses to Hungary (2-0 and 1-0) were closer than the scorelines suggest, but they highlighted a chronic problem: Armenia struggles to maintain intensity for a full 90 minutes.
The Portugal Problem
We have to talk about the 9-1. It was ugly. It was the kind of result that leads to "emergency meetings" at the Federation. Portugal needed a massive goal difference boost and they simply steamrolled an Armenian defense that looked like it had never met before. Melikyan’s high-pressing experiment backfired spectacularly against world-class attackers who thrive on space.
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Is the team that bad? No. But the standings reflect a team that is caught between two worlds—too good to be a "minnow" but not disciplined enough to handle the elite.
The Nations League Rollercoaster
Before the World Cup qualifying disaster, there was the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League. Armenia finished second in League C, Group 4. They managed 7 points, trailing behind a very strong North Macedonia side.
- The Highs: A 4-1 thrashing of Latvia showed that when the attack clicks, it really clicks.
- The Lows: A 1-0 loss at home to the Faroe Islands. That one stung. It’s the kind of result that halts momentum and breeds doubt.
Because they finished second, they had to play a promotion play-off against Georgia in March 2025. It went poorly. A 3-0 loss at home followed by a 6-1 drumming in Tbilisi kept Armenia in League C. Georgia is currently playing at a level Armenia dreams of reaching, and that two-leg series was a massive reality check for the FFA (Football Federation of Armenia).
The Melikyan Era and the Captain’s Drama
When Yeghishe Melikyan was appointed in August 2025, it was supposed to be a "homecoming." He’s a local guy, a former player, and he won back-to-back titles in the Armenian league. But his arrival caused immediate drama.
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Varazdat Haroyan, the long-time captain and defensive rock with 92 caps, quit the team almost immediately. He basically said he’d tried working with Melikyan before at the club level and it was a disaster, so he wasn't going to do it again.
Losing your captain right before facing Portugal and Ireland is like trying to fix a plane engine while it’s in the air. The defense has looked disorganized ever since. Erik Piloyan and Sergey Muradyan are talented, but they don't have Haroyan’s "get-out-of-my-way" authority yet.
Who is actually carrying this team?
If you're looking for reasons to stay subscribed to the matches, it's the midfield. Eduard Spertsyan is the real deal. With a market value of around €25 million, he’s the undisputed star. He scored 5 goals in 2025 alone. When he’s on the ball, Armenia looks like a different team.
Then you’ve got the youngsters:
- Grant-Leon Ranos: The Borussia Mönchengladbach kid is only 22. He’s got the instincts, but he needs better service.
- Nair Tiknizyan: Playing in Serbia now, he provides that marauding energy from the left that the team has lacked for years.
- Edgar Sevikyan: He’s quick, technical, and scored a beauty against Georgia despite the loss.
What’s Next: How to Read the Standings Moving Forward
Don't expect a miracle in the remaining 2026 qualifiers. The gap to Ireland and Portugal is too wide. The real "standings" that matter for Armenia fans right now aren't on a UEFA points table—it's the internal progress.
- Defensive Rebuilding: Without Haroyan, Melikyan has to find a settled back four (or five). Transitioning from a 5-3-2 to a more attacking 4-3-3 has left them exposed. Watch the "Goals Against" column in the next few friendlies. If that number stays under 2, it's progress.
- The Mkhitaryan Shadow: People still ask if Henrikh Mkhitaryan will come back. He’s said the door is closed. The team needs to stop playing like they're waiting for a savior and start playing like a collective.
- Focus on League C: The next Nations League cycle is where Armenia can actually gain confidence. They belong in League B, but they have to prove they can beat teams like the Faroe Islands and Latvia consistently first.
Actionable Insight for Fans: Stop focusing on the "Group F" table. It's a dead end for this cycle. Instead, track the individual progress of players like Sergey Muradyan and Styopa Mkrtchyan. If these 21 and 22-year-old defenders can survive this "trial by fire" against Portugal, they will be the backbone of the team for the 2028 Euro qualifiers. The standings today are a price being paid for a total systemic rebuild. Patience is a tough sell in Yerevan, but it's the only thing on the menu.