The draw for the final stages of the 2022 World Cup has taken place, and, at least in theory, the Seleção cannot complain about their luck.

Seeded for the draw, Portugal have been pitted against opponents from three different continents: Uruguay, South Korea and Ghana. 

Portugal will begin their campaign in Qatar against Ghana on Thursday 24 November.

The Seleção played the African nation at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, winning 2-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting the winner in the 80th minute. Nevertheless, it was no happy occasion for Portugal, as the result was not enough to prevent an early group stage exit from the tournament.

The second Group H opponents for Portugal will be Uruguay on Monday 28 November, with whom there is more recent history. The South American team knocked Portugal out of the previous World Cup at the round-of-16 stage in Russia. Two goals from Edinson Cavani proved the Seleção’s undoing. Pepe scored in between, but Fernando Santos’ team – the reigning European Champions at the time – could not find a second equaliser and were knocked out.


 Can Portugal win the World Cup? Tom Kundert’s analysis on CNN after qualification was secured.

 


Portugal will end the group stage campaign against a familiar face. South Korea are the adversaries on Thursday 2 December. The Asian outfit are coached by Paulo Bento, who was Portugal coach from 2010 to 2014, leading the Seleção to the semi-finals of the 2012 European Championship.

As with the match-up with Uruguay, this game brings back painful memories for Portuguese fans. In the 2002 World Cup South Korea, who were joint hosts, beat Portugal 1-0 in the final group stage match to send the Seleção back home.

Should Portugal make progress from their group, they will play one of the four teams drawn into Group G, in the round of 16: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia or Cameroon. Given that Brazil will be heavily favoured to top the group, Portugal will likely have to make sure they win their section to avoid facing the 5-time World Cup winners early in the tournament. 

by Tom Kundert

Full FIFA 2022 World Cup draw

 

Related: Opinion - Positivity for Portugal as World Cup fever heats up

Related: Portugal deny “giant-killers” to qualify for 2022 World Cup - Portugal 2-0 North Macedonia report

 

Comments (21)

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

I think we got very Lucky today, considering our penchant for always drawing what Extreme Groups

Utmost respect to our Opponents, but considering the side of the Bracket we are on and our Group, I think we are set up for a Deep Run and hopefully...

I think we got very Lucky today, considering our penchant for always drawing what Extreme Groups

Utmost respect to our Opponents, but considering the side of the Bracket we are on and our Group, I think we are set up for a Deep Run and hopefully this will be the One.

As long as we play to our potential (And Not Down) I will have High Hopes.

Gonna be nice watching a Game before Thanksgiving.

Força

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Winner Winner Turkey Dinner
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I think it is on Thanksgiving.

Paulo
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After my Thanksgiving

Jerrold Hewson
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A very decent draw , our best since 2006. It looks Spain/Germany in the Quarters , France in the semis , Brazil/Argentina in the final barring any upsets.

Gee Dee
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Best case, beat Ghana, Korea beats Uruguay(do us a solid Bento), we go into Uruguay game with them needing a result, hopefully Korea beats Ghana. We beat a qualified Korea in the last game. Avoid Brazil if we win group( unless of course Brazil...

Best case, beat Ghana, Korea beats Uruguay(do us a solid Bento), we go into Uruguay game with them needing a result, hopefully Korea beats Ghana. We beat a qualified Korea in the last game. Avoid Brazil if we win group( unless of course Brazil doesn't finish first).

On paper FIFA rankings, Ghana is worst ranked at 60. Group A easiest, Group H probably second easiest.

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Paulo
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We should win this group comfortably, Uruguay are out of form and sorts, Ghana are in a post asamoah phase with no world class players and South Korea are a hit and miss team with only Son to worry about.

Joao Rosario
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Payback World Cup

WC2014 - Ghana - Even though Portugal won, Ghana played defensively at the end. If they could have turned around the 2-1 deficit and won by 2 they would have moved on. Instead, they were happy to keep us from moving forward and...

Payback World Cup

WC2014 - Ghana - Even though Portugal won, Ghana played defensively at the end. If they could have turned around the 2-1 deficit and won by 2 they would have moved on. Instead, they were happy to keep us from moving forward and parking the losers bus.

WC2018 - Uruguay - Knocked us out. I am glad we are moving on from Patricio.

WC2002 - Korea - I am sure Joao "Red Card" Pinto will remember that disaster.

Now then hypothetically.....

Round of 16
WC2022 Qualifying - Serbia - knocked us out of direct qualifying, making the 2022 Payback World Cup, almost not happen, deserves payback. Also, a special shout-out to not using VAR.

Quarterfinals
WC2010 - Spain - Despite having the top international coach in the world, Queiroz(LMAO), we were knocked out by an offside, non-VAR reviewed, David Villa goal.

Semifinals
WC2006 - France - Why didn't we piss off Zidane first? Pepe should have been there to whisper into his ear.

Finals
WC1966 - England - The long bus ride across England, Goodison to Wembly. Talk about home cooking.

Anyways we beat England in penalties in the 2022 WC with Costa taking off his gloves, ala Ricardo, and then scoring the winning penalty.

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Paulo
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Avenging almost 50 years of suffering in one tournament

Shashank Sekhar
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Wonderful draw for Portugal on paper. We couldn't have asked for much better. Uruguay beat us last time but I firmly believe Suarez and Cavani are past their best. The latter has barely made it off the bench for Man U this season, there's also...

Wonderful draw for Portugal on paper. We couldn't have asked for much better. Uruguay beat us last time but I firmly believe Suarez and Cavani are past their best. The latter has barely made it off the bench for Man U this season, there's also ex-atletico man Diego Godin.. An astute central defender. Darwin Nunez will also be there but for me this is a team in transition.

Ghana - one of the teams I've loved rooting for in past World Cups aside from A Nossa Selecção. Long gone are the days of Gyan, Boateng, and Muntari. Young, inexperienced squad.

South Korea the only thing they're good for is cheating at WC 2002. Those buffoons should have been banned from future tournaments for the disgrace they pulled. I wish for nothing less than they be pummeled in all three group games and end with 0 points and -15 goal differential.

I havent said "Força Portugal!" in a very long time. Santos has suffocated the joy and passion right out for plenty. I agree with Tom's statement that we must be wary of the atheleticism from countries of different continents however Portugal is too talented to not score all 9 points in a group stage for the first time since World Cup 2006.

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SupremoGino
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I like the draw revenge on Uruguay I believe we can go on a run please please please please play attacking football and I believe we gonna make some noise in Qatar

Ricky Almeida
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Great draw for us. On paper, I believe we have the best squad in the world - with depth in each position - minus Dalot.

9 pts is achievable. Brazil may choke and not win their group... should be interesting.

Patricio has been ace for Portugal...

Great draw for us. On paper, I believe we have the best squad in the world - with depth in each position - minus Dalot.

9 pts is achievable. Brazil may choke and not win their group... should be interesting.

Patricio has been ace for Portugal - Costa is good but I don't understand, either way, if Dias isn't fit for any given game, I cant see Danilo doing a great job alongside Pepe again... Pepe v Macedonia saved his a$$ several times.

I truly believe we can go all the way this time. Ronaldo to retire by taking the WC back to Lisboa! Força!!

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Imràn
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It does look a pretty straight forward group at first glance. We should have enough to start off with 3 points against Ghana and hopefully we can at the very least get a draw against Uruguay.

The likes of Suarez, Cavani, and Godin may be past...

It does look a pretty straight forward group at first glance. We should have enough to start off with 3 points against Ghana and hopefully we can at the very least get a draw against Uruguay.

The likes of Suarez, Cavani, and Godin may be past their prime but they still have a quality side with a good mix of youth and experience.

South Korea are beatable on paper for sure, but again, I could see us struggling against them as well.

Avoiding Brazil in the round of 16 is obviously ideal. Spain or Germany in the quarter finals would be tough to beat but not impossible.

Anything beyond that would be a plus given what we've seen over the past couple of years.

We have more than enough talent to go all the way, but if the tournament was being held this summer, I couldn't see us making it pass the quarter finals.

Let's up we can develop chemistry and build up some real momentum in the upcoming nations league games.

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jon/usa
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Alot of confidence in the comments when we had to go through playoffs to make it.

Nothing is straightforward with this team and how they play.

ben
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