Portugal have advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after beating Croatia in dramatic circumstances in a thrilling round of 32 clash.
Portugal opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in a game where they were far from their fluent best, needing to dig in to take a point from a competitive opener. They then produced their standout performance of the group stage, sweeping aside Uzbekistan with a dominant 5-0 victory that showcased their attacking quality and put them in a strong position to qualify.
A 0-0 draw with Colombia in their final group match ensured Portugal remained unbeaten, but they were unable to find the breakthrough needed to take top spot, with Colombia edging the group by two points.
In a dramatic round of 32 clash with Portugal, Goncalo Ramos’ injury-time winner was enough to send the Seleccao into the final 16 – but how far can they go from here?
Portugal odds to win the World Cup
After finishing second in their group and setting up a competitive tie with Croatia next, Roberto Martinez’s Portugal sat at 15/1 to win the tournament – having drifted from the 9/1 that was originally available after their opening draw.
Despite beating Vatreni, they now sit at a slightly longer 16/1 in some places – presumably due to France and Spain seeing their odds cut thanks to emphatic round of 32 wins of their own.
Portugal have never reached the World Cup final before, with a third place finish in 1966 being their best tournament to date.
Martinez certainly can’t blame any failure on not having talent at his disposal, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes being potential match-winners. However, there have been some doubts cast over their ability to win at the deeper end of the competition that they will have to dispel to go all the way.
Portugal World Cup top goalscorer odds
Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo is the favourite Portuguese player to be named top scorer this summer. He had a goalless start against DR Congo, and watched on as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland all scored multiple goals in their opening matches. But Ronaldo got up and running against Uzbekistan, scoring twice in the 5-0 win. He then followed that up with a penalty in the win over Croatia.
He’s still out at 100/1 to lift the golden boot this summer.
He’s scored 10 goals at World Cup finals over the years, with 2018 being his most prolific year, with four goals scored.
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