Portugal made it to the 2022 World Cup the hard way, finishing second in their group and needing to beat Turkey and North Macedonia in the playoffs. The Seleção will return to the biggest stage in world football with a squad likely to contain a mix of older, more experienced players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe, as well as plenty of younger and emerging talents.
As the record scorer in men’s international football with 115 goals, Ronaldo will be a crucial part of the team. This will be his 10th straight major international tournament, and while he’s older and past his peak, he’s still an important player for Portugal. However, to thrive in Qatar the team will have to make sure they are not so heavily reliant on Ronaldo as in the past decade and a half.
Can Santos harness the UEFA Nations League as a catalyst for Portugal's World Cup campaign?
Portugal suffered a 3-1 defeat against Denmark in Ramat Gan, surrendering top spot in Group D at the U17 European Championship. Ivan Lima opened the scoring in the 30th minute as the Equipa das Quinas took a 1-0 lead into half time.
Portugal overcame an early deficit to outclass Sweden and secure a 4-2 victory in Lod. Emmanuel Tannor set up Jardell Kanga for the opening goal in the 7th minute, but the Equipa das Quinas weathered the early storm and took control.