After Portugal shocked the world by winning Euro 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo and co. will set lofty standards for themselves at Russia 2018.
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World Cup History
Portugal have participated in the World Cup on 6 occasions with the closest attempt at claiming the trophy being in 1966 when they lost their semi-final game and went on to beat the Soviet Union (2-1) to seal 3rd place.
This was a notable achievement as 1966 was also the first time that Portugal took part in the World Cup. Unfortunately, they failed to qualify for the next four World Cups (1970-1982) after which they were eliminated in the group stages in 1986. The next 3 World Cups (1990-1998) also saw Portugal fail to qualify.
Looking at the recent past, Portugal qualified for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan but were eliminated in the group stages (2-3 loss to the USA, 4-0 win against Poland and 1-0 loss to South Korea).
In 2006 Portugal held an unbeaten streak in the group stages and defeated Holland in the round of 16 by a goal to nil. After a draw with England in the quarterfinals they went on to win on penalties (3-1). This was followed by a loss to France in the semi-finals (1-0) and a loss to Germany in the third-place game which saw Portugal finish 4th.
2010 saw them exit in the round of 16 with a loss to eventual champions Spain (1-0). In 2014, a 4-0 loss to Germany, a 2 all draw against USA and a 2-1 win against Ghana saw Portugal exit after the group stages.
How They Qualified
Currently ranked 4th in the world, 2016 saw Portugal win the European Championship when Eder scored a 109th minute screamer in extra time to seal the victory over hosts France.
As for the World Cup qualifiers, Portugal were placed in group B where the newly crowned European champions suffered a 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in Basel in their first game. Thereafter in October 2016 they went on to defeat Faroe Islands 6 goals to nil courtesy of an Andre Silva hat-trick. Portugal was also placed 3rd in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017.
In September 2017 they narrowly defeated Hungary by a goal to nil which meant they were to face Switzerland once again in the group winning decider. They eventually did defeat the Swiss in a comfortable 2 nil victory in Lisbon which saw them qualify for Russia 2018.
In preparation for the World Cup, Portugal faced Egypt and Holland in two friendly games where they won 2-1 and lost 3-0 respectively.
Manager & Playing Style
Fernando Santo took over at the helm of Portuguese Football in 2014, succeeding Paulo Bento who was sacked following a string of poor performances by the team.
Aged 63, this mastermind could be considered as one of the greatest managers of Portuguese football with a European title in 2016 followed by a third-place finish at the FIFA Confederations Cup held in 2017.
After his retirement as a player, he immediately commenced his managerial career by coaching Porto FC. He went on to coach AEK Athens FC, Sporting Lisbon, SL Benfica and PAOK FC followed by the Grecian National Football Team. He led Greece to the Round of 16 in the 2014 World Cup, a tournament best for the Greeks.
After taking over Portuguese football, he began with a 1-0 win over Denmark and managed to steer Portugal to a comfortable qualification for the 2018 World Cup. He follows a 4-4-1-1 formation which has proven fruitful over Portugal’s past few games.
Strengths & Weaknesses
As for strengths, Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence on the team and its play will prove to be a vital part in Portugal’s success in Russia. The 5-time Ballon d’Or winner spearheaded Portugal to its European title in 2016 and his enthusiasm and determination will be highly influential if Portugal are to move into a stable position in the World Cup.
An immediate weakness that they face is their aging backline. Pepe aged 35, Bruno Alves aged 36 and Jose Fonte aged 34 comprise of Portugal’s starting backline. This sort of disadvantage may prove critical in the long run.
Key Players
Cristiano Ronaldo’s form hasn’t declined since the World Cup in 2014, in fact it has only grown over the past 4 years. This goal machine scored 43 goals for Spanish giants Real Madrid in the 17/18 season across all competitions, a factor which may prove to be the driving force of Portugal’s campaign in Russia.
Bernardo Silva is yet another rising prospect even at club level but he has shown a recent flair in his style of play at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. He missed out on Portugal’s win in the Euros in 2016 due to injury and he will look to make up for his lost time which makes him a player to watch at the World Cup.
One to Watch
Portugal have struggled to identify a centre forward who can consistently lead the line and score goals. Ronaldo and Nani shared this role in the Euros but throughout qualifying, Andre Silva has emerged as a reliable striker.
Silva, 22, made his full professional debut for Porto aged 20 and moved to AC Milan in June 2017 where he has struggled to find form. For his country he betters an average of a goal every other game but has only scored twice for Milan in 24 appearances.
Final Squad
Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes, Beto, Rui Patricio
Defenders: Bruno Alves, Cedric Soares, Jose Fonte, Mario Rui, Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, Ricardo Pereira, Ruben Dias
Midfielders: Adrien Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Mario, Joao Moutinho, Manuel Fernandes, William Carvalho, Andre Silva, Bernardo Silva
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gelson Martins, Goncalo Guedes, Ricardo Quaresma
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