Finn Geragusian of Sunderland receives his first call-up to the Armenia national team: who he is and what he can bring to the team

Finn Geragusian of Sunderland receives his first call-up to the Armenia national team: who he is and what he can bring to the team.

The Armenia national football team will play two friendly matches in March — against the UAE on March 26 and Belarus on March 29. The head coach has already published the list of foreign-based players called up for the training camp: it includes ten footballers playing abroad. The rest of the squad will be formed from players in the Armenian domestic league and will be announced later.

The main news of the list is the only debutant — 18-year-old Sunderland striker Finn Geragusian, who has received his first call-up to the senior national team.

From the Sunderland academy to the Armenia national team

Finn Geragusian was born in the English city of Durham, not far from Sunderland. He is a product of the club of the same name — the striker joined Sunderland’s system at the age of 12 and has been developing in the club’s academy ever since.

In the 2025/26 season, the forward plays for the club’s youth teams — U18 and U21. In total this season he has played 23 matches, scored 12 goals and provided 2 assists.

Statistics by team

• U18 — 9 matches, 8 goals

• U21 — 14 matches, 4 goals and 2 assists

Since the beginning of 2026, Geragusian has been permanently moved to Sunderland U21, where he has continued to progress. With him in the squad, the team has been producing impressive results: five consecutive victories and two draws allowed them to reach the Premier League Cup quarterfinals and climb from 24th to 13th place in the league standings.

In those matches the striker scored three goals.

In addition, in 2026 he played twice for the U18 team as well, scoring three goals and helping the team reach the FA Youth Cup U18 quarterfinals.

Overall, in 2026 Geragusian  has played nine matches without defeat, recording seven wins.

Rapid progress in Armenia’s national teams

Geragusian’s path within Armenia’s national team system has been very rapid.

• 2024 — two friendly matches for Armenia U19 (1 goal)

• 2025 — debut for the U21 national team

• 2026 — first call-up to the senior national team

For Armenia’s U21 team he has already played two matches in the European Championship qualifiers — against Montenegro (28 minutes) and Sweden (60 minutes).

In just two years, the young striker has progressed from the youth national team to the country’s main team.

Playing qualities: a tall striker with technique

One of Geragusian’s main features is his physical profile — 194 cm tall. This allows him to perform confidently in duels, use his body well, and effectively hold up the ball.

At the same time, despite his height, the striker possesses:

• good ball control

• excellent vision of the field

• a powerful long-range shot with his left foot

He can play in several attacking positions:

• central striker

• right winger

• attacking midfielder

An important element of his game is the ability to play with his back to goal and receive difficult passes, making him effective as a classic center-forward.

The player himself says that among strikers he looks up to Harry Kane as his role model.

Armenian roots and motivation to play for the national team

Geragusian has Armenian roots through his grandfather. It was his grandfather who introduced him to Armenian culture and is currently teaching him the Armenian language.

According to the forward, receiving a call-up to the national team was a special moment for him.

“Wearing the Armenia national team jersey is a great responsibility. When the anthem plays, my heart starts beating faster. I want to score many goals and bring victories to the team.”

Potential for the national team

Despite being only 18 years old, Geragusian has already trained with Sunderland’s first team, which indicates the club’s high expectations.

After one of the matches, Sunderland U21 assistant coach Matt Craddock praised the striker’s work rate:

“He handled the task excellently in an unfamiliar position, scored a goal and did a huge amount of work off the ball. We saw another important aspect of his game.”

If Geragusian manages to transfer his scoring form from Sunderland’s youth teams to the national team level, Armenia could gain a type of striker that is relatively rare for the team — a powerful center-forward capable of winning duels and finishing attacks effectively in the penalty area.

His call-up is also connected to changes in the attacking line. Tigran Barseghyan has finished his career with the national team, and Lucas Zelarayán also appears close to doing so, although he has not officially announced his decision yet. Meanwhile, Grant-Leon Ranos receives very little playing time in the 2. Bundesliga, and Artur Miranyan, although regularly starting for his club in Israel, does not score very often. In addition, due to the war, the Israeli league is currently suspended.

In such circumstances, the young forward has a chance to take advantage of the attacking vacuum in the national team and become an important option for the squad at just 18 years old.

It is unlikely that Geragusian will be used on the right wing in the national team, as sometimes happens at club level. This position in Armenia’s squad is already well stocked — Vahan Bichakhchyan, Narek Grigoryan, and Artur Serobyan can play there. Notably, Edgar Sevikyan was not even called up for the March camp.

Most likely, Geragusian will become a rotation option at center-forward, alongside Artur Miranyan and Araik Eloyan, who plays in the Armenian league. At the same time, Grant-Leon Ranos may be used on the left wing in place of the absent Zelarayán, where he will compete with Artur Shagoyan for a starting spot. Ranos often plays on the flank for his clubs, so using him on the left wing for the national team looks like a logical decision.

Therefore, the center-forward position could become Geragusian ’s main opportunity to establish himself in the national team right at the start of his international career.

Geragusian scores in Premier League Cup after first call-up to Armenia national team (VIDEO)