Armenia's Long Shot: Can they Finally Qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
Armenia, a small nation nestled in the South Caucasus, has long been struggling to make a significant impact in international football. However, the country's national team has been working towards a remarkable goal – qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With a rich history of almost making it big, but ultimately falling short, the Armenian national team is gearing up to take on the best teams in North and Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. In this article, we will delve into the current state of the team, their chances, and the obstacles they face in their bid to rewrite history.
Armenia's Football History
Armenia gained independence in 1991, and since then, their football federation has been working tirelessly to establish a competitive team. The country's football history has been marked by some notable achievements, including qualifying for the European Championship (Euro 2012) and the Asian Cup (2012). However, despite these efforts, Armenia has always fallen short of their World Cup aspirations. In 2006, they made their World Cup debut in a play-off match against Uruguay, but were ultimately defeated 0-1.
Since then, Armenia has remained focused on competing in qualifying tournaments, always aiming to improve and climb the FIFA rankings. The team has shown glimpses of excellence, especially with talented players like Karlen Mkrtchyan, Yura Kartashyan, and Henrik Mkhitaryan, but they have yet to make significant progress in international competitions.
The Current Squad
Qualification Process and Challenges
Armenia is part of the CONCACAF region's last group stage, alongside the United States, Canada, Haiti, Jamaica, and El Salvador. The team will compete in a series of home and away matches, aiming to earn as many points as possible to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup. However, the competition is fierce, with the United States and Canada being two of the favorites to qualify.
The CONCACAF region is considered one of the most challenging routes to the World Cup, with top teams from North and South America set to participate. Armenia will need to pull off upsets, maintain consistency, and have some luck on their side if they hope to make it to the coveted tournament.
Key Players and Departures
- Henrik Mkhitaryan: Manchester United's talented midfielder has expressed his desire to captain the Armenian national team in the World Cup qualifying campaign. The skilled player has the talent and drive to pull the team forward and provide the needed experience alongside his technical skills.
- Refik Durmishyan: This versatile forward has been consistently scoring for both club and country, and is set to make an impact with the national team in the 2026 qualifying campaign.
- Aram Voskanyan: The country's talented left-back has just transferred to the Austrian Bundesliga team, SK Sturm Graz, where we can expect him to continue to develop his skills.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Team
In the face of this challenging qualifying campaign, Armenia has both positive and negative aspects working in their favor. Their most significant assets lie in their unity, passion, and adaptability on the field. However, their biggest challenge remains their spot in a tough group, from which only a few teams can advance. Additionally, they are competing against heavyweights with far more extensive resources.
Strengths:
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Unity: The team is known for their core unit, where friendships and rivalries strengthen their bond, increasing their resolve to continue growth and teamwork.
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Adaptive Strategy: Armenia can easily shift tactical plans in accordance with the opponents' gameplay and match situation, making them unpredictable opponents.
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Age: Having players like Mkhitaryan and Voskanyan maturing and having more experience, the squad tends to be more revitalized and very competitive.
Weaknesses:
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Defensive vs.progressive attacking style: Armenia can focus on attacking, but they fall short when needing to cope with secure their defense before attacking.
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Goalkeeper experience: Armenia lacks recent historical instances of a seasoned goalkeeper securing international games.
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Ball possession: Armenia loses quite a number of ball possessions to teams like Uruguay and El Salvador service-side play playing heavy shots somewhere near the box
