World Cup 2022

There can be no doubting the quality of squad that Portugal come into this World Cup with - one that has them rightly placed amongst the second tier of favourites - challenger nations, if you will. But questions remain over whether this side is being utilised in the right way, and after Group Stage or Round of 16 exits at the last three editions - if they can actually challenge at the sharp end this time round. 

Who is the Portugal manager?

Many of those questions revolve around their Head Coach Fernando Santos. The man who led them to their first ever major silverware at EURO 2016, and then again in the Nations League in 2019 has credit in the bank, so to speak, but there are plenty of people who feel that his dogmatic, defensive style of play is starting to hamper the Seleção, rather than benefiting them. 

That said, Portugal remain incredibly hard to beat. They have lost just five times in 32 games in the last three years - and never by more than a single goal. Santos’ defence-first policy might not be pretty in an attacking phase, but it’s effective, and that can be a huge bonus in knockout football. 

What tactics can we expect from them at the World Cup?

Tactically, Santos tends to stick to a 4-2-3-1, which plays out in a manner that’s both controlled and cautious. At the base of midfield he utilises 2 defensive midfielders, usually William Carvalho and Ruben Neves, then Bruno Fernandes tends to push ahead. There are times when it can look a bit more like a 4-3-3, though, especially out of possession in games that they’re not able to dominate. 

 

Who are the players to watch for Portugal?

In goal, Porto’s Diogo Costa has pretty much locked down the No. 1 jersey, and rightly so. At just 23 he is starting to be spoken about in the conversations about top keepers in the world, with both his shot stopping ability and exceptional distribution important to this team.

With veteran centre-back Pepe approaching the twilight of his career, Santos has taken to fielding Danilo Pereira at centre-back alongside Ruben Dias. The PSG man was nicknamed ‘The Octopus’ when at Porto for his uncanny ability to somehow stick a leg out and nick the ball when it seemed all hope was lost, and his experience and leadership has clearly impressed his coach enough to start him within the back four. 

Out wide, Portugal have some of the most naturally gifted full-backs in world football. Joao Cancelo’s ability to create and score goals has been widely lauded at Manchester City, whilst on the other side Nuno Mendes’ offers similar thrust but with a more defensive natural instinct. Whilst they are two different profiles of player, there is alway the option of throwing Raphael Guerreiro into the mix with his ability to burst forward from left-back if Portugal need a goal.  

Part of that profiling is how the two link with their wingers. Bernardo Silva plays in front of his clubmate Cancelo, and their interchanges - and ability to switch and invert off each other - are crucial to this team in buildup. On the other side, injuries to both Pedro Neto and Diogo Jota mean that Rafael Leão’s explosiveness should be allowed to shine.

And it is the Milan man who is Portugal’s Player to Watch. Crowned MVP in Serie A last year as the Rossoneri ended a decade-long title drought, he is one of the most exciting players in world football right now. 

His mercurial rise to stardom can be seen in the fact that he only made his Portugal debut a year ago, and has yet to actually score for the senior side - and yet there is no doubt that a player compared to Thierry Henry by Milan manager Stefano Pioli is one who could set this tournament aflame. 

His languid style, explosive pace and ability to score outrageous goals from a number of different positions have made him the darling of San Siro, and if he takes that form onto the world stage here, Portugal know they have a fearsome attacking weapon, especially in transition. 

Who is favourite to be top scorer for Portugal?

Their goalscorer though, remains Cristiano Ronaldo. Now 37, there are plenty of questions over CR7 going into this World Cup, especially in regard to his struggles for both minutes and goals in a new-look Manchester United side, but there can be no doubting his drive and determination. 

A World Cup trophy would be the crowning glory of an already stellar career, and whilst questions remain over his off-the-ball work and whether his presence offsets the balance of some of the newer stars of this Portugal team, it is he who will undoubtedly be wearing the armband and leading the line as the Seleção get their campaign underway in Qatar.

Father Time might be finally getting the better of a player who has seemed ageless for much of his career, but if his exceptionally talented co-cast can provide the ammunition, you’d be a brave soul to bet against CR7 having his say yet again - and adding to his remarkable 117 goals in 191 national team appearances.   

How did Portugal qualify for the World Cup?

Portugal have made a habit of making things hard for themselves in qualification, and this was no exception. Looking set for automatic qualification on the final day of group stage qualifying, they conceded a late winner to Serbia to allow the Serbs to pip them to the guaranteed spot, and leave themself in the playoffs for the third World Cup in a row. 

They did though, make light work of said playoffs - seeing off Turkey comfortably before beating North Macedonia 2-0 to guarantee their spot in Qatar - two Bruno Fernandes goals sealing the deal.

What are the ambitions for this Portugal team?

Fernando Santos has made his ambitions clear: “Portugal are going to the World Cup to win”, he said in an interview; and the depth of talent in this squad is there that such a bullish statement doesn’t seem ridiculous, but Portugal’s World Cup record isn’t great, and a semi-final - which would equal the country’s best ever showing - would be a real achievement. 

Portugal World Cup Odds

At 17/1, there are 8 teams fancied more, which means there’s a little bit of a point to prove for Portugal, but the odds suggest that lifting the Jules Rimet trophy isn’t completely out of reach. They’ll need to up their game if they’re to compete with the real favourites, but there’s no doubting the calibre of this squad. 

Portugal World Cup prediction from oddschecker

With Brazil likely to win Group G, Portugal will want to win their group in order to avoid the tournament favourites. The quarter-finals could be their limit this campaign, with a potential match-up against Belgium - who knocked them out of Euro 2020 - or Germany. We like the best price of 3/1 for Portugal to bow out of the competition in the quarter-finals.