Portugal at the FIFA World Cup 2026

History

Portugal's best World Cup result remains third place in 1966, where a team built around Ballon d'Or winner Eusebio defeated Brazil and North Korea before losing to host England in the semi-final. They returned to form in 2006, finishing fourth under Luiz Felipe Scolari. Portugal have never won the World Cup. Notable other appearances include the round of 16 in 2018 and the quarter-finals in 2022. The 2026 tournament is Portugal's ninth World Cup appearance.

Qualification

Portugal qualified directly by winning UEFA qualifying Group F, which contained Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, and Armenia. They sealed first place with a 9-1 victory over Armenia on Matchday 10. Despite a defeat to the Republic of Ireland during the campaign, Portugal topped the group comfortably. Additionally, Portugal won the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League, further underlining their strong form in the build-up to the tournament.

Preparation

In the March 2026 international window, Portugal drew 0-0 with Mexico at the Estadio Azteca and beat the United States 2-0 in Atlanta. Roberto Martinez named a 27-man preliminary squad on 19 May 2026, one more than the standard 26, with the extra spot dedicated as an honorary tribute to Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident in 2025. Portugal opened their pre-tournament camp on 1 June at the Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras, completing two warm-up wins: 2-1 over Chile on June 6 (Leão red card) and 2-1 over Nigeria on June 10 (Pedro Neto, Conceicao goals). The squad departed Lisbon on June 12 on TAP flight TP9035 to Palm Beach, arriving that evening. Training began at Gardens North County District Park on June 13 with beach acclimatisation sessions. A fitness concern with Rúben Dias emerged during the Palm Beach camp; Martinez ruled him out of the June 17 opener, with Renato Veiga and Tomás Araújo forming the centre-back pairing. Portugal were held 1-1 by DR Congo in their Group K opener at NRG Stadium, Houston on June 17: João Neves headed Portugal ahead in the 6th minute, but Yoane Wissa equalised in stoppage time for DR Congo's first-ever World Cup goal. Cancelo had a bicycle-kick ruled out for offside; Ronaldo missed two clear chances. Araújo picked up a fitness issue during the DR Congo match and was unavailable for the second game. Dias rejoined group training June 18, was confirmed '100 percent' fit on June 19, and started against Uzbekistan on June 23. Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0 at NRG Stadium, Houston: Ronaldo scored twice (6', 39') to become the first player to score at six World Cups, reaching 10 career World Cup goals to surpass Eusébio as Portugal's all-time leading scorer at World Cups. Nuno Mendes added a third (17'), an Abduvohid Nematov own goal made it 4-0 (60'), and Rafael Leão completed the rout (87'). Araújo completed his total reintegration into group training on June 24 and Portugal had a full-strength squad for the Group K finale. Portugal drew 0-0 with Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium Miami on June 27: Camilo Vargas denied Bruno Fernandes with a key first-half save, João Félix fired over from a close-range chance, and a Davinson Sánchez added-time effort was ruled out by VAR for offside. Colombia topped Group K with 7 points; Portugal advance as runners-up with 5 points (1W-2D-0L). Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Round of 32 in Toronto on July 2: Ivan Perisic put Croatia ahead (53'), Cristiano Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot (68') after Nikola Vlasic fouled Renato Veiga, and substitute Gonçalo Ramos headed a stoppage-time winner (90+4') from a Rafael Leão cross; a late Josko Gvardiol equaliser was ruled out for a marginal Petar Matanovic offside. Portugal lost 0-1 to Spain in the Round of 16 at AT&T Stadium, Dallas on July 6, eliminated by a 91st-minute Mikel Merino goal, ending Portugal's tournament and Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career; he did not announce international retirement outright. Roberto Martinez left the head coach role after the elimination; Jorge Jesus was appointed and presented as Portugal's new national team coach on July 10, tasked with leading the team through the 2030 World Cup, which Portugal will co-host with Spain and Morocco. Jesus said he would continue to select Ronaldo if the forward remains playing and fit, calling him a symbol of Portuguese football.

Latest news

Jorge Jesus appointed Portugal head coach, succeeding Roberto Martinez

· coach

Jorge Jesus was presented as Portugal's new coach on July 10, replacing Roberto Martinez after the Round of 16 exit. The 71-year-old will lead the team to the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco. Jesus said he'd keep picking Ronaldo if fit, calling him 'a symbol of Portuguese football,' and plans a private talk about his future.

Portugal eliminated from World Cup with 0-1 loss to Spain; Ronaldo's World Cup career ends

· matches

Portugal lost 0-1 to Spain in the Round of 16 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, on July 6, undone by a 91st-minute Mikel Merino goal. Ronaldo confirmed it was his last World Cup ('I'm sad to be leaving like this. I gave it my all') but declined to announce international retirement, saying he wouldn't make hasty decisions. Roberto Martinez departed the head coach role after the elimination.

Ramos' stoppage-time header sinks Croatia as Portugal reach Round of 16

· matches

Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Round of 32 in Toronto. Ivan Perisic put Croatia ahead (53'), Cristiano Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot (68') after Nikola Vlasic fouled Renato Veiga, and substitute Gonçalo Ramos headed a stoppage-time winner (90+4') from a Rafael Leão cross. A late Josko Gvardiol equaliser was disallowed for a marginal Petar Matanovic offside.

Portugal draw 0-0 with Colombia; finish second in Group K and face Croatia in Round of 32

· matches

Portugal drew 0-0 with Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium Miami in their Group K finale. Colombia top the group with 7 points; Portugal advance as runners-up with 5 points (1W-2D-0L). Camilo Vargas denied Bruno Fernandes with a vital first-half save; João Félix fired over; Davinson Sánchez had an added-time strike ruled out for offside by VAR. Portugal face Croatia on July 2 in Toronto.

Portugal train at full strength in Miami; all players available for Colombia clash

· general

Portugal held their June 25 training session in Miami with all players fit and available ahead of their decisive Group K final against Colombia on June 27 at Hard Rock Stadium. Roberto Martinez had a full squad to choose from for the first time in the tournament, significantly increasing his tactical options for the group decider.

Tomás Araújo returns to full group training ahead of Colombia; squad in recovery

· injuries

Tomás Araújo rejoined full group training on June 24, completing his 'total reintegration' after several days of individual work following a fitness issue against DR Congo on June 17. He missed the June 23 Uzbekistan match but is now available for the June 27 Colombia game. The rest of the squad performed recovery work; João Cancelo was the only regular starter to join.

Ronaldo scores twice to make history as Portugal thrash Uzbekistan 5-0

· matches

Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston, topping Group K with four points. Ronaldo scored twice (6', 39') to become the first player to score at six World Cups, reaching 10 career WC goals and surpassing Eusébio as Portugal's WC all-time top scorer. Nuno Mendes (17'), Nematov OG (60') and Leão (87') completed the rout. Dias started after missing the opener.

Rúben Dias confirmed fit and expected to start vs Uzbekistan; Tomás Araújo in doubt

· injuries

Rúben Dias is 'at 100 percent' and expected to start vs Uzbekistan (June 23), having completed two consecutive group training sessions (June 18-19) after missing the DR Congo opener. Tomás Araújo, who started against DR Congo in Dias' absence, trained separately with individual work on both days after picking up discomfort during that match; his availability is in doubt.

Rúben Dias rejoins Portugal group training ahead of Uzbekistan; FPF president visits camp

· injuries

Rúben Dias reintegrated into Portugal's field training in Palm Beach Gardens on June 18, one day after missing the DR Congo draw with a fitness issue. The squad was split: starters from the Congo match did recovery work while others trained on the pitch. FPF president Pedro Proença attended the session to give confidence to the group ahead of the June 23 Uzbekistan match.

Portugal held 1-1 by DR Congo in Group K opener; Rúben Dias absent with fitness issue

· matches

Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo at NRG Stadium, Houston. João Neves headed Portugal ahead in the 6th minute, but Yoane Wissa equalised in stoppage time - DR Congo's first-ever World Cup goal. Cancelo had a bicycle-kick ruled out for offside (55'); Ronaldo missed two clear chances. Rúben Dias was absent; Veiga and Araújo formed the centre-back pairing. Portugal sit second in Group K.

Rúben Dias ruled out of Portugal's Group K opener after fitness issue emerges in training

· injuries

Roberto Martinez confirmed on match-eve that Rúben Dias would not feature against DR Congo after a fitness concern emerged in Palm Beach Gardens training. The Manchester City defender trained separately, doing muscle activation and beach recovery. Martinez: 'He is not fully fit and we won't take any risks. He is recovering.' Return for the June 23 Uzbekistan game is possible.

Portugal begin training at Palm Beach Gardens base camp after arriving June 12

· general

Portugal's squad arrived at Palm Beach International Airport on the evening of June 12 and trained at Palm Beach Gardens on June 13. The session was private and invite-only, with Cristiano Ronaldo drawing substantial media attention. The squad acclimatised with beach recovery sessions as part of preparation for their June 17 opener against DR Congo.

Portugal squad flies to Palm Beach Gardens base camp on direct TAP flight

· general

Portugal's 27-man delegation departed Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport on June 12 at 15:05 on TAP flight TP9035, a direct service operated by an Airbus A330-900 (CS-TUM 'Nuno Alvares Pereira') to West Palm Beach Airport (PBI), arriving at approximately 19:15 local time. Roberto Martinez confirmed all 27 convoked players are fit and ready before departure.

Portugal take official World Cup squad photo with all 27 players at Cidade do Futebol

· squad

The Portuguese Football Federation released the official squad photograph on June 11, featuring all 27 convoked players and coaching staff at the Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras. Manager Roberto Martinez confirmed: 'We had doubts regarding injuries, but now we have 27 players all ready.'

Portugal beat Nigeria 2-1 in final World Cup warm-up at Leiria

· matches

Portugal closed their warm-up programme with a 2-1 win over Nigeria at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa in Leiria. Pedro Neto finished a Diogo Dalot cutback on 23 minutes, Akor Adams equalised on 37, and Francisco Conceicao struck the winner on 75. Roberto Martinez rotated heavily; Cristiano Ronaldo featured and was substituted after missing several chances. No red cards were shown.

PSG quartet join camp and Matheus Nunes returns, completing Portugal's squad

· squad

Portugal's World Cup squad was completed on 7 June when the four PSG European champions (Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos) joined the camp after their post-final rest, having attended the Chile friendly first. Matheus Nunes, who missed the Chile match with a physical (gastric) issue, also returned to full training. Martinez now has all called-up players available.

Portugal beat Chile 2-1 in pre-World Cup friendly; Leão and Roman sent off

· matches

Portugal beat Chile 2-1 in their first June warm-up at Estadio Nacional do Jamor, Oeiras. Guedes scored before the hour from a Ruben Neves pass and Bruno Fernandes added a long-range second; Cepeda pulled one back in stoppage time. Rafael Leão and Chile's Ivan Roman were sent off for violent conduct near half-time, and Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside before being replaced at the break.

Portugal continue camp with third training session; women's team joins for unity photo

· matches

Day three of Portugal's pre-World Cup camp at the Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras: Roberto Martinez worked with 23 of 27 players ahead of Saturday's friendly with Chile. The four PSG Champions League winners (Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Ramos) were absent on rest, due back for the June 10 Nigeria game. The women's team joined for a family photo; no injuries or fitness concerns reported.

Portugal open pre-World Cup camp at Cidade do Futebol with 23 of 27 players

· matches

Portugal began their 2026 World Cup preparation camp on Monday 1 June at the Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras. Roberto Martinez led the first session with 23 of the 27 called-up players present, including Cristiano Ronaldo. The four PSG players who reached the Champions League final (Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos) join the squad later.

Portugal confirm World Cup base camp at Gardens North County District Park, Palm Beach Gardens

· general

Portugal's tournament base camp for the 2026 World Cup is Gardens North County District Park in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where the squad will train throughout the group stage. The 82-acre site offers seven lighted fields plus a temporary building with gym, recovery and meeting rooms; Real Madrid had used the facility the previous year.

Squad

PlayerPositionClub
Diogo CostaGKFC Porto
José SáGKWolverhampton Wanderers
Rui SilvaGKSporting CP
Rúben DiasDFManchester City
João CanceloDFFC Barcelona
Nuno MendesDFParis Saint-Germain
Diogo DalotDFManchester United
Gonçalo InácioDFSporting CP
Nélson SemedoDFFenerbahce
Tomás AraújoDFBenfica
Renato VeigaDFVillarreal
Matheus NunesDFManchester City
Bruno FernandesMFManchester United
Bernardo SilvaMFManchester City
João NevesMFParis Saint-Germain
VitinhaMFParis Saint-Germain
Rúben NevesMFAl Hilal
Samú CostaMFRCD Mallorca
Cristiano RonaldoFWAl Nassr
Rafael LeãoFWAC Milan
Gonçalo RamosFWParis Saint-Germain
Pedro NetoFWChelsea
Francisco TrincãoFWSporting CP
João FélixFWAl Nassr
Gonçalo GuedesFWReal Sociedad
Francisco ConceiçãoFWJuventus

Recent results

  • 2024-03-21 — POR 5-2 SWE (friendly)
  • 2024-03-26 — SVN 2-0 POR (friendly)
  • 2024-06-04 — POR 4-2 FIN (friendly)
  • 2024-06-08 — POR 1-2 CRO (friendly)
  • 2024-06-11 — POR 3-0 IRL (friendly)
  • 2025-09-06 — ARM 0-5 POR (qualification)
  • 2025-09-09 — HUN 2-3 POR (qualification)
  • 2025-10-11 — POR 1-0 IRL (qualification)
  • 2025-10-14 — POR 2-2 HUN (qualification)
  • 2025-11-13 — IRL 2-0 POR (qualification)
  • 2025-11-16 — POR 9-1 ARM (qualification)
  • 2026-03-28 — MEX 0-0 POR (friendly)
  • 2026-03-31 — USA 0-2 POR (friendly)
  • 2026-06-06 — POR 2-1 CHI (friendly)
  • 2026-06-10 — POR 2-1 NGA (friendly)
  • 2026-06-17 — POR 1-1 COD (group)
  • 2026-06-23 — POR 5-0 UZB (group)
  • 2026-06-27 — COL 0-0 POR (group)
  • 2026-07-02 — CRO 1-2 POR (round_of_32)
  • 2026-07-06 — POR 0-1 ESP (round_of_16)

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