{"id":1450770,"date":"2026-07-06T22:17:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=news&#038;p=1450770"},"modified":"2026-07-06T22:18:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:18:06","slug":"portugal-world-cup-2026-route-to-the-final","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/portugal-world-cup-2026-route-to-the-final\/","title":{"rendered":"Portugal Route to the World Cup Final: Next match and tactical analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Portugal crashed out of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/world-cup-2026-outright-odds-23-06\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 World Cup<\/a> after being beaten 1-0 by Spain in a dour Round of 16 match.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roberto Martinez\u2019s side went unbeaten in the group stage but had to settle for second place behind Colombia after a win over Uzbekistan and draws against DR Congo and La Tricolor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They then overcame Croatia in dramatic circumstances, coming from behind to emerge 2-1 winners despite late VAR drama seeing a Vatreni equaliser ruled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their run ended in the Round of 16, though, with Spain scoring late to claim a 1-0 win and send Portugal home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Portugal were once again aiming to go deep in a major tournament, with a squad packed full of experience and attacking talent, but are still searching for a World Cup title after their best-ever finish of third place in 1966.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-portugal-world-cup-2026-stats\">Portugal World Cup 2026 stats<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"vcsw-sports-widgets shortcode vcsw-stats-cards\" id=\"stats_cards-1\"><script type=\"application\/json\">{\"sports_type\":\"football\",\"widget_type\":\"stats\",\"display_mode\":\"table\",\"competition\":\"667aabbb773e0180d8f74d65\",\"cards\":[{\"stats\":[{\"value\":\"Games\",\"label\":\"Games\"},{\"value\":\"Shots (excl blocks)\",\"label\":\"Shots (excl blocks)\"},{\"value\":\"Goals\",\"label\":\"Goals\"},{\"value\":\"Assists\",\"label\":\"Assists\"},{\"value\":\"Tackles Made\",\"label\":\"Tackles Made\"},{\"value\":\"Yellow Cards\",\"label\":\"Yellow Cards\"},{\"value\":\"Red Cards\",\"label\":\"Red Cards\"}],\"entity\":\"members\",\"participant\":\"\"}],\"top_count\":10,\"full_list\":\"true\",\"participant\":\"665db6e4e93e306d7f46a036\"}<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-portugal-key-players-for-world-cup-2026\">Portugal key players for World Cup 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Portugal top World Cup Golden Boot Contender: Cristiano Ronaldo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key stat<\/strong>: Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal&#8217;s record appearance holder, with 230 caps, and record goalscorer, with 145 goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is little left to say about Cristiano Ronaldo that has not already been said. He is one of the greatest players in football history, having amassed an extraordinary collection of goals, records and trophies throughout his career. However, the World Cup remains the one major prize that has eluded him. Portugal&#8217;s primary goal threat, Ronaldo will expect to lead his country to glory and finally claim the trophy that has always been out of reach in what will surely be his final World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Portugal primary playmaker: Bruno Fernandes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key stat<\/strong>: Bruno Fernandes contributed three goals and one assist in Portugal&#8217;s qualifying campaign, with all of those goal contributions coming in the 9-1 win over Armenia. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fernandes has led the way for Manchester United over the past few years, and he has also played a vital role for Portugal. He has recorded 28 goals and 24 assists in 85 international appearances, averaging a goal contribution every 1.6 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mexico card magnets &amp; top tacklers: Joao Cancelo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key stat<\/strong>: Joao Cancelo made three fouls in Portugal&#8217;s qualifying campaign, picking up one booking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cancelo committed more fouls than any other player in the Portugal squad in their qualifying campaign and has been somewhat of a card magnet over the years, with 26 bookings and one red card since the beginning of the 2022-23 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Portugal rising star: Joao Neves<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a lack of real quality teenagers coming through the Portugal squad at the moment but one stand out player is Joao Neves, who has picked up 22 caps, scoring three goals, at the age of 21. The youngster has caught the eye for PSG over the past couple of years and this summer could prove to be a true breakout one for him in terms of moving into the world elite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>STAND-OUT STAT: <strong>Portugal <\/strong>are the only team since 1954 to have overturned a three goal deficit to win a World Cup game. They beat North Korea 5-3 in the 1966 quarter final despite going three goals down after 25 minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Portugal set-piece specialists<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Penalties<\/strong>: Cristiano Ronaldo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Free-kicks<\/strong>: Cristiano Ronaldo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Corners<\/strong>: Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-portugal-tactical-analysis-and-formation\">Portugal tactical analysis and formation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Team stats (average per game from World Cup qualifying)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shots: <\/strong>25<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shots on Target:<\/strong> 8.33<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shots conceded<\/strong>: 8.16<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Corners: <\/strong>6.66<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-819x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1456588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-214x267.png 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-160x200.png 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-48x60.png 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-120x150.png 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal-59x74.png 59w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/11115225\/Portugal.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Portugal usually set up with a 4-2-3-1 formation that can shift into a 4-3-3 if needed. This leaves Leao high up the pitch to support Ronaldo in attack, with Fernandes pulling the strings in a free role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their defence has been fairly settled with Ruben Dias and Nuno Mendes among the first names on the teamsheet. The midfield duo of Joao Neves and Vitinha know each other well as teammates at PSG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/portugal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Get the latest Portugal World Cup goals, assists, shots, passes and tackle stats here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-portugal-manager-analysis\">Portugal manager analysis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roberto Mart\u00ednez has managed Portugal since January 2023 after replacing Fernando Santos. He has enjoyed a strong record in charge, winning 25 of his first 30 matches and suffering only five defeats. However, Portugal&#8217;s quarter-final exit at UEFA Euro 2024 disappointed many supporters given the talent available to the squad. Mart\u00ednez and his players responded well to that setback, though, by lifting the 2024\u201325 Uefa Nations League title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Martinez has international pedigree, having managed the Belgium national team for six years prior to his appointment for his home nation. He oversaw the so-called &#8216;Golden Generation&#8217; for Belgium but was unable to deliver them a trophy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stats below are from his current spell in charge of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Coach<\/th><th>Team<\/th><th>P<\/th><th>W<\/th><th>D<\/th><th>L<\/th><th>Win %<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Roberto Martinez<\/td><td>Portugal<\/td><td>42<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>5<\/td><td>6<\/td><td>73.17%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-portugal-world-cup-faqs\">Portugal World Cup FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Have Portugal ever won the World Cup?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Portugal have never won the World Cup. They reached the semi-finals in 1966 and 2006, but lost on both occasions and failed to progress to the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Where did Portugal finish at the last World Cup?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Portugal exited the 2022 World Cup at the quarter-final stage after Morocco beat them 1-0 in a disappointing campaign for the Portuguese national team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Who will be Portugal captain at the World Cup?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cristiano Ronaldo is the current Portugal captain, having won his first cap as captain in 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Who is Portugal\u2019s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for goals for Portugal at the World Cup, with 10 in total. He overtook Eusebio during the 2026 tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/world-cup-2026-betting-tips-predictions\/\"><strong>World Cup predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/world-cup-outright-odds\/\"><strong>World Cup outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup-2026-fixtures-results\/\"><b>World Cup fixtures &amp; results<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/world-cup-2026-betting-offers\/\"><b>World Cup free bets<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"sq-articles-list\">\n                    <h2 class=\"sq-heading-line\">Latest News<\/h2>\n                <div class=\"sq-cards\">\n                            <article class=\"sq-card\">\n    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<\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Portugal crashed out of the 2026 World Cup after being beaten 1-0 by Spain in a dour Round of 16 match. Roberto Martinez\u2019s side went unbeaten in the group stage but had to settle for second place behind Colombia after a win over Uzbekistan and draws against DR Congo and La Tricolor. They then overcame&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":427,"featured_media":1464329,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"portugal route to the final","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Everything you need to know about Portugal at World Cup 2026 including their route to the final, key players, manager and tactical analysis.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"news-category":[27626],"class_list":["post-1450770","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-world-cup"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Portugal Route to the World Cup Final: Next match and tactical analysis | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everything you need to know about 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