Portugal to win Women’s World Cup 2023 odds: Confirmed squad, best players, line-up and form
Portugal will be hoping to make a mark on the World Cup as they prepare for their tournament debut this summer.
After two appearances at the European Championships, Portugal are taking to the world stage for the first time, but it’s not an easy debut. Portugal have been drawn against Netherlands, USA and Vietnam in their group, already putting them as outsiders to make the knockout stages. Can they pull off a shock?
Latest Portugal odds to win the Women’s World Cup
| Betting Market | Odds |
| Portugal to win the Women’s World Cup | 100/1 |
| Portugal to beat Netherlands | 11/2 |
*You have to be 18+ to gamble. All odds within this article are accurate at the time of writing (17:30, 01/07/2023). GambleAware.
Our recommended Portugal bet for Women’s World Cup
Portugal route to the Women’s World Cup Final
Group Stage fixtures
| Fixture | Stadium | Date |
| Netherlands vs Portugal | Forsyth Barr Stadium | 23 July, 8:30am BST |
| Portugal vs Vietnam | Waikato Stadium | 27 July, 8:30am BST |
| Portugal vs USA | Eden Park | 1 August, 8am BST |
Who could Portugal meet in the knockout rounds?
If Portugal were to pull off the shock of all shocks and not only get out of Group E, but win it, their reward would be game against the runners-up of Group G in the last 16, which includes Sweden, South Africa, Italy and Argentina. Then it’d be either the winners of Group A or runners-up of Group C, most likely to be Spain, Japan or Norway.
Then, in the semi-finals, in all likelihood Portugal would face the winners of Group C or Group G, which could throw up Sweden or Spain. In the final, the likes of England, Germany and Canada all could await.
If Portugal finish runners-up behind USA, eliminating the more favoured Netherlands side, their route will look like this:
| Route as Group E runners-up | Potential Opponent |
| Round of 16 | Sweden |
| Quarter-Final | Spain |
| Semi-Final | USA |
| Final | England |
Confirmed Portugal Women’s World Cup squad
| Player Name | Position | Age | Club |
| Rute Costa | Goalkeeper | 29 | Benfica |
| Ines Pereira | Goalkeeper | 24 | Servette |
| Patricia Morais | Goalkeeper | 31 | Braga |
| Ana Seica | Defender | 22 | Benfica |
| Carole Costa | Defender | 33 | Benfica |
| Catarina Amado | Defender | 23 | Benfica |
| Diana Gomes | Defender | 24 | Sevilla |
| Joana Marchao | Defender | 26 | Parma |
| Lucia Alves | Defender | 25 | Benfica |
| Silvia Rebelo | Defender | 34 | Benfica |
| Ana Rute | Midfielder | 25 | Braga |
| Andreia Norton | Midfielder | 26 | Benfica |
| Andreia Jacinto | Midfielder | 21 | Real Sociedad |
| Dolores Silva | Midfielder | 31 | Braga |
| Fatima Pinto | Midfielder | 27 | Alaves |
| Kika Nazareth | Midfielder | 26 | Benfica |
| Tatiana Pinto | Midfielder | 29 | Levante |
| Ana Borges | Forward | 33 | Sporting CP |
| Ana Capeta | Forward | 25 | Sporting CP |
| Carolina Mendes | Forward | 35 | Braga |
| Diana Silva | Forward | 28 | Sporting CP |
| Jessica Silva | Forward | 28 | Benfica |
| Telma Encarnacao | Forward | 21 | Maritimo |
Portugal players to watch at this year’s Women’s World Cup
Portugal World Cup Golden Boot contender – Diana Silva
Likely to lead the line for Portugal this summer is Diana Silva, who comes into the World Cup having scored 14 goals for Sporting CP in the league as they finished second, nine points behind Benfica who dominate domestically. In qualifying for the World Cup this summer, Silva scored four times in 12 games, including one in Portugal’s extra-time victory over Iceland in the European play-offs to eventually sett them up for a 4-1 victory. The good thing about Silva is that she isn’t just a threat through the middle, the 28-year-old can also cause problems from the wing and score, which will be key as Portugal try to breach some tough defences. She will also want to remind people that she did score against Netherlands at Euro 2022 last summer…
Portugal player to watch – Kika Nazareth
Kika Nazareth also found the net in the 4-1 win over Iceland that sent Portugal to the intercontinental play-offs, rounding off the scoring with what was her fifth international goal. She has since added a sixth, while two of the other goals came during the World Cup qualifying campaign including the winner in a 2-1 win over Serbia. Oh, and she’s still only 20. Turning 21 later in the year, Nazareth has already played over 20 games for her side and though she can sometimes play slightly deeper for club side Benfica, she’s all about the goals. In the league last season, Nazareth scored 15 goals as Benfica won the league with only teammates Jessica Silva and Cloe Lacasse netting more.
Portugal emerging player to look out for – Telma Encarnacao
Completing the Portugal attack and a trio of players who could all start through the middle (as well as some others) is Telma Encarnacao. While she is slightly older than Nazareth and made her debut earlier, Encarnacao is a slightly less established player especially as she plays her football for Maritimo with the spotlight away from her. That didn’t stop her from top scoring for the club with 12 goals in the league last season as Maritimo just about stayed in the top flight, winning their relegation play-off – Encarnacao scored twice in the 6-2 aggregate victory then. While she has started through the middle for Portugal, Encarnacao is perhaps the least likely to be in the starting XI, with the likes of Ana Borges and Jessica Silva also pushing for a place.
Portugal tactical analysis & formation at the World Cup
As mentioned, Portugal have quite a bit of talent up front and they usually go with a 4-3-3 to try to fit as many in as possible. There are a number of possible lineups in attack for Portugal, but the most likely seems to be Kika Nazareth through the middle, flanked by Diana Silva and Jessica Silva (no relation). In the midfield, Dolores Silva is one of the first names on the teamsheet in that holding role, allowing her teammates to push slightly further up the pitch. When everyone is fit, Andreia Norton often joins Dolores Silva with Tatiana Pinto completing the trio.
In goal, Ines Pereira was between the sticks for two of Portugal’s three games at Euro 2022 last summer but she struggled and didn’t really bring much confidence to her backline. In qualifying for the World Cup, the decision was eventually made to bring back Patricia Morais as No.1 and she’ll likely start this summer. At the back, despite being an attacker, Ana Borges has found a home at right-back and could start the tournament there, with Joana Marchao on the opposite flank. Carole Costa and Diana Gomes appears to be the favoured centre-back pairing for Francisco Neto, the former having over 150 caps for Portugal.
Where are Portugal in the FIFA world rankings?
Portugal are currently 21st in the FIFA world rankings, their highest ever standing, jumping up in March this year.
Who is the Portugal manager?
Francisco Neto is Portugal manager and has held the role since 2014, helping them reach two European Championships.
Who is the current Portugal captain?
Dolores Silva is the Portugal captain, replacing Claudia Neto open the latter’s retirement two years ago.
How many times have Portugal won the World Cup?
Portugal are yet to win the World Cup.
How many times have Portugal competed in the World Cup?
Portugal are making their debut at the Women’s World Cup this summer.
Who has scored Portugal’s most goals in World Cup tournaments?
Players will be queuing up to be the first Portuguese player to score at the Women’s World Cup.
