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FIFA World Cup 2022 Preview: Will Ronaldo Deliver on the Biggest Stage for Portugal?

The FIFA soccer World Cup is one of the most culturally significant competitions in world sport, and this year’s edition promises to be a spectacular tournament like no other. This year, the FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar, making 2022 both the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, but also the first World Cup to be held in winter time.

Portugal has been one of the more notable teams on the national stage in recent years, and legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo will almost certainly see this year’s World Cup as the last big opportunity for him to win the most coveted prize in world soccer. Read on for a comprehensive guide to Portugal’s history, current squad, and chances to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Portugal National Soccer Team

Portugal’s national soccer team has been traditionally one of the more powerful teams, with the side boasting some of of the best players of all time, in addition to constantly having high profile players in the top European leagues alongside some recent tournament victories. They are currently ranked 9th in the official FIFA rankings.
History

Portugal has had a rich history of producing top talent, along with a number of clubs with a lot of history in European competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League. Portuguese players play in many different countries and leagues, and Portugal first qualified for the World Cup in 1966, immediately coming in third place and starting off their World Cup history with a strong showing.

Greatest achievements

The Portugal national soccer team has had a number of remarkable successes in recent years, most notably winning the 2016 European Championships after a 1-0 win after extra time over hosts France. This win was despite Portugal talisman Cristiano Ronaldo getting injured and having to be substituted early in the first half of the game, and Portugal’s defensive performance over the rest of the game against a strong France attack was a thing of beauty.

Portugal also won the inaugural UEFA Nations League trophy in 2019, winning 1-0 in the final over a Netherlands side that had been steadily improving since their slump in the mid-2010s.

Notable players

Any review of the Portugal national soccer team’s most famous players would not be complete without mentioning one of the most dominant forces in the game for the past 20 years, Cristiano Ronaldo. Regularly described as one of the best players of all time, Ronaldo is considered a legend at both Real Madrid and Manchester United, and is currently the all-time top goalscorer in international football, recently overtaking Iran’s Ali Daei and currently on 117 goals.

Other than Ronaldo, Barcelona legend Deco and controversial talent Luís Figo were the big Portugese hopes of the 2000s, and Eusébio is often considered to be one of the finest players of all time. Portugal has developed some of the most technically gifted players in the sport over the years.

Jersey

Portugal’s World Cup 2022 jersey is something very radical and different compared to their usual style. They have gone for a diagonal pattern as French club Monaco do, and their dark red mixed with a rich green has made their World Cup 2022 jersey one that definitely stands out from the rest.

Trivia

Did you know that in World Cup 2006, Portugal knocked out favorites England in the quarter-finals after Cristiano Ronaldo feigned injury and got England striker Wayne Rooney sent off during the game? Ronaldo and Rooney were teammates at English club Manchester United at the time, and Ronaldo had a tough time in the next few months as he returned to stadiums in England.

Squad

The Portugal soccer squad for the Qatar World Cup this year is filled with exciting talents, and on paper is looking one of the most balanced in the competition. Manchester United’s superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is joined by teammate Bruno Fernandes, Liverpool talent Diogo Jota, and Manchester City wizard Bernardo Silva. The attacking talent on display is breathtaking, and Portugal are sure to score goals and create chances with the creativity and ruthlesness on display.

Defensively, they are also just as strong, with Manchester City duo Rúben Dias and João Cancelo providing both steel, awareness, technical ability, and creativity to the team. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa has been linked with some of the world’s biggest clubs, and his fine form for Porto has led to Portugal fans being more and more optimistic about their team’s chances as the season goes on.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Preview

Portugal’s soccer World Cup campaign is going to be the last chance for some of their players to challenge for a World Cup, and hopes are high that this team can go further than they have in the last World Cups, the nation being especially disappointed to lose 2-1 in the round of 16 to Uruguay in 2018. They feel it’s time to go further in the competition.

Qualifiers

Despite their current optimism, Portugal didn’t qualify for the World Cup easily. They finished second in a seemingly unthreatening Group A to surprise group winners Serbia, a full three points behind after eight matches. Portugal had to negotiate tricky playoff matches against Turkey and North Macedonia, but they won both matches relatively easily and carried their form into the following matches in the Nations League.

Match 1: vs. Ghana

Portugal start their FIFA World Cup campaign this year with a Group H fixture against Ghana on the 24th of November. Ghana are ranked 61st in the world by FIFA, and the fantastic Ghana team of the 2010 World Cup seems a long time ago now. Portugal should not take them lightly, as bigger upsets have been seen in the World Cup, but Portugal should win this won in a straightforward manner and get their World Cup off to the best possible start.

Match 2: vs. Uruguay

Their nemesis in the 2018 World Cup, 14th-ranked Uruguay pose a huge threat to Portugal’s hopes of winning Group H and getting a slightly easier opponent in the round of 16. While their team has gotten older and the levels have slightly dipped since the magical times of Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani in their primes, the duo still link up well for Uruguay and shouldn’t be ignored. However, Uruguay’s defense has improved a lot in the last year or two, and Portugal should not expect to create many chances. A tight, nervy game is expected, but Portugal should be considered slight favorites for the clash on the 28th of November.

Match 3: vs. South Korea

On the 2nd of December, Portugal play their last Group H matchup against a 28th-ranked South Korea team that has slowly risen back to international relevancy after a fall off after the 2018 World Cup. Tottenham Hotspurs star Son Heung-min is by far the most notable player on the squad, but Napoli defender Kim Min-jae and Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Hwang Hee-chan are other big players for this South Korea side. Last time out, they knocked out Germany in the group stages, so they are capable of shocking anyone, but Portugal should have too much for them.

Possible knockout stage

If Portugal do manage to negotiate this tricky group and finish in first place, they would probably come up against a Switzerland side that has looked defensively resolute for the past couple of years. Portugal should be favorites for that matchup, but the Swiss have also sprang some surprises in international competition over the years, so they should never be counted out.

If Portugal progress from there, they could come up against a Belgium side that is ranked second in the FIFA soccer rankings in the quarter-finals, and Belgium would be overwhelming favorites to stop Portugal’s run right there.

However, if Portugal manage to upset a rampant Belgium team, they would find themselves in the semi-finals probably facing either France or England, two more incredibly strong teams that have had tremendous success over the past few years.

If Portugal manage to get past one of them, they would be faced with any number of strong teams in the final, including number one ranked Brazil, number three ranked Argentina, or a resurgent Spain side. The path to Portugal winning the competition is filled with dangerous teams, but with such talent in their squad, it is not as impossible as in other years.