What Are the Chances of Portugal Qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The Portuguese National Team is currently ranked seventh in the world by FIFA and is aiming to improve its status before the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will go head-to-head against Germany on June 4th in the UEFA Nations League A Semi-Finals at 3:00 p.m. EST. This match will be a tough one, as Germany has always been a strong team in most tournaments, but Portugal has an incredible amount of talent on their side. The match against Germany is an opportunity to show the world how much of a threat the Portuguese team can be ahead of their World Cup 2026 qualifying matches that begin in September and go through November.
Group F of the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers consists of Armenia, Hungary, Ireland, and Portugal. The team that finishes on top will get an automatic bid to the FIFA World Cup, and the second-place team will have to enter the next stage of qualifications. Armenia and Portugal have gone head to head four times, with Portugal winning three and drawing the remaining one. Armenia’s recent form should not be a cause for concern for the Portuguese squad, as Georgia was able to drop a total of nine goals on Armenia across two matches. The Portuguese have been rebuilding their program after the departure of coach Fernando Santos three years ago but still failed to secure a title in the Euro 2024 after a loss in a penalty shootout to France.
Spanish football manager Roberto Martinez left his post as the Belgian National Team Manager after a messy World Cup showing and found a home in a lost Portuguese team. At the time of his arrival, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s role on the team was being questioned by younger players, coaching staff, and media. Martinez made it very clear that he intended to use Ronaldo as much as possible and create a team culture of respect for such a decorated athlete. Unfortunately, as respectful as this was, there seemed to still be an air of distrust in the locker room with rumors swirling that the younger generation didn’t want to listen to what Ronaldo had to offer.
Heading into the qualifiers, the Portuguese side must find unity, even if they have to fake a smile to do so. Too often, they find themselves in miscommunications that lead to conceding a goal, or many, to the opposing team, which was visible in their 2022 World Cup send-off after a goalie and defender miscommunication led to Morocco’s semi-final achievement. Especially since in their group is Hungary, which has been known to not give Portugal an easy time in terms of aggressive playing style and a decent defensive line. The last time Ireland walked away with a win from Portugal was in a friendly in 2005, but in their last match in June 2024, Portugal walked away with a 3-0 win.
Realistically, with the talent that Portugal has on their roster with players like Ronaldo, Rafael Leão, Bernardo Silva, and Vitinha, they should top the group with ease. Many of the Portuguese players have walked home with a trophy this season, whether it was the Premier League, Champions League, or Taça da Liga, which should make for a successful qualifying campaign. Aside from the possibilities of injuries, a full, healthy squad will do some damage and hopefully carry that warpath into the 2026 World Cup. This will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s predicted last chance to finally bring a World Cup to a nation that has never tasted that victory, should their qualifying campaign go smoothly.
