Yura Movsisyan backs Armenia's gradual progress

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former Armenia national team striker Yura Movsisyan has shared his assessment of the team's current state and its chances of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, armsport.am reported, citing RB Sport.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is currently being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The tournament began on June 11 and will run through July 19. It is the first World Cup to feature 48 national teams, significantly increasing qualification opportunities for many countries.

Asked when Armenia would take advantage of the expanded format and qualify for the World Cup, Movsisyan replied:

"We Armenians will reach the World Cup when we start playing good football," he said with a laugh. "But seriously, it's a matter of systemic growth. At the moment, the national team is not ready to consistently perform at a high level that would allow it to compete with Europe's strongest sides. We should also remember that the European World Cup qualifiers are the toughest in the world. There are no easy opponents. Every match is a challenge. But step-by-step progress is achievable."

Movsisyan said he tries to watch every match played by the Armenia national team.

"You can see that the team is going through a generational transition. The coaching staff is giving opportunities to young players from the domestic league. That's the right approach. It's impossible to build a strong team without trusting your own players.

I wouldn't like to name specific players so as not to put unnecessary pressure on them. The most important thing is to develop properly and avoid rushing the process. But Armenia already has young footballers performing at a high level who could move to strong European leagues in the future," he said.

The World Cup has reached the Round of 32, with South Africa, Japan, Germany and the Netherlands already eliminated from the tournament.