In our World Cup preview series, we assess each of the tournament favourites featuring Barcelona stars, examining their key strengths and predicting how far they can go in the competition. Previously we covered Brazil, Netherlands, France and Spain.
Portugal's World Cup hopes will once again be framed around Cristiano Ronaldo and his pursuit of the one major trophy missing from an extraordinary career. Even at this stage, the spotlight remains firmly on whether he can finally add a World Cup winner's medal to his collection and cement his claim as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
Yet this Portugal side is about far more than Ronaldo. The backbone of the squad is built around a generation of elite talent, including Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos, all fresh from back-to-back Champions League triumphs. Mendes, Vitinha and Neves are now widely regarded among the very best in the world in their respective positions, giving Portugal a level of quality and balance they have rarely possessed.
Further forward, former Barcelona targets Rafael Leão and Bernardo Silva provide creativity, pace and unpredictability alongside Ronaldo. On paper, it is one of the most gifted attacks in the tournament. The question facing Roberto Martínez is whether Portugal can fully unleash that talent while still building around their iconic captain, or whether their dependence on Ronaldo could ultimately limit a team capable of going all the way.
Will Cancelo be a regular?
The squad selection offers a clear indication of how Roberto Martínez views João Cancelo's role within the Portugal setup. With Diogo Dalot and Nélson Semedo included as specialist right-backs, alongside the versatile Matheus Nunes, Cancelo appears set to serve primarily as cover for Nuno Mendes on the left flank.
Despite that supporting role, Cancelo could still have a significant part to play in the early stages of the tournament. Mendes was forced off during a friendly against Nigeria, raising concerns over his fitness. Martínez opted to keep the PSG defender in the squad and is carefully managing his workload, which could open the door for the on-loan Barcelona full-back to feature prominently in the group stage.
Playing for Cristiano Ronaldo's last chance at gold
For Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2026 World Cup represents one final shot at completing football's greatest collection of honours. Having won almost everything the game has to offer, the World Cup remains the one trophy missing from his remarkable career and the prize that could define his international legacy.
At 41 years old, Ronaldo knows opportunities like this do not come around again. If Portugal are to finally conquer the world, their captain will be desperate to ensure his last World Cup ends with the trophy he has spent a lifetime chasing.
Expected to win the group
Group K is far from straightforward, with Uzbekistan being a potential dark horse and Colombia widely viewed as Portugal's biggest threat. The South Americans possess enough quality and attacking firepower to challenge Portugal's ambitions of topping the group, ensuring there will be little margin for error.
Despite that, Portugal should still be confident of progressing to the knockout stages. The battle for first place could ultimately come down to the final group match against Colombia. If both nations take care of business in their opening fixtures, Matchday Three has all the ingredients to become one of the standout clashes of the group stage.
Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
Wednesday 17 June, 18:00UTC | Portugal vs DR Congo |
Tuesday 23 June 18:00UTC | Portugal vs Uzbekistan |
Sunday 28 June, 00:00UTC | Portugal vs Colombia |
Knockout rounds
That final group-stage clash could prove decisive. Topping the group would likely hand Portugal a more favourable Round of 32 tie against one of the tournament's best third-placed teams, while a second-place finish could set up an immediate heavyweight showdown with the runners-up from Group L.
That group is expected to be fiercely contested, with England and Croatia battling for top spot and Ghana viewed by many as a dangerous dark horse. As a result, finishing first in Group K could be the difference between a smoother route through the knockout stages and an early test against one of the tournament's strongest nations.
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