Portugal World Cup Fixtures, Squad, Group, Guide

Portugal have been eliminated from the 2018 World Cup.

Portugal vs Uruguay Round of 16 Match Report

Match preview here. 

Portugal Starting XI: 1 Rui Patricio, 3 Pepe, 5 Raphael Guerreiro, 6 Jose Fonte, 7 Cristiano Ronaldo, 10 Joao Mario (4 Manuel Fernandes 84), 11 Bernardo Silva, 14 William Carvalho, 15 Ricardo Pereira, 17 Goncalo Guedes (9 Andre Silva 74), 23 Adrien Silva (20 Ricardo Quaresma 65)

Uruguay Starting XI: 1 Fernando Muslera, 2 Jose Gimenez, 3 Diego Godin, 6 Rodrigo Bentancur (7 Cristian Rodrigues 63), 8 Nahitan Nandez (5 Carlos Sanchez 81), 9 Luis Suarez, 14 Lucas Torreira, 15 Matias Vecino, 17 Diego Laxalt, 21 Edinson Cavani (11 Cristhian Stuani 74), 22 Martin Caceres

Sochi 

Uruguay 2 France 1

Scorers

Uruguay: Cavani 7, 62

Portugal: Pepe 55

Match overview

Edinson Cavani scored two outstanding goals as Uruguay claimed their place in the quarter-finals and sent European champions Portugal out of the tournament.

Uruguay took an early lead after brilliant combination play between Cavani and his strike partner Luis Suarez and the two forwards worked hard throughout to secure Uruguay’s victory.

Portugal began the second half with more purpose and Pepe’s equaliser was the first goal conceded by Uruguay in the tournament. It prompted Portugal’s best spell of the game but Uruguay regained their compact shape and Cavani added a brilliant second goal before limping off with a hamstring problem.

Uruguay defended their lead stoically and Portugal’s substitutes could not find a way through.

Matter of fact

This was the first time Uruguay had won their opening four games at a World Cup since 1930, when their fourth win was in the Final.

At 35 years and 124 days, Pepe became Portugal’s oldest goalscorer in a major tournament.

Talking point

Cristiano Ronaldo once again failed to score a goal in a World Cup knockout stage game. He did not have a single touch of the ball inside the area in the first half while his only shot on target in the entire game came in the second minute, when his low effort from distance was straight at Fernando Muslera.

Stats

Uruguay/Portugal

Possession (%): 39/61

Goal attempts: 6/20

Attempts on target: 2/7

Corners: 2/10

Fouls: 13/13

Pass accuracy (%): 69/84

Distance covered (km): 106/107

Portugal vs Iran (25th June) Match Report

Match preview here.

Portugal Starting XI: 1 Rui Patricio, 3 Pepe, 5 Raphael Guerreiro, 6 Jose Fonte, 7 Cristiano Ronaldo, 9 Andre Silva (17 Goncalo Guedes 90+6), 10 Joao Mario (8 Joao Moutinho 85), 14 William Carvalho, 20 Ricardo Quaresma (11 Bernardo Silva 70), 21 Cedric, 23 Adrien Silva

Iran Starting XI: 1 Alireza Beiranvand, 2 Ehsan Hajsafi (5 Milad Mohammadi 56), 6 Saeid Ezatolahi (10 Karim Ansarifard 76), 8 Morteza Pouraliganj, 9 Omid Ebrahimi, 11 Vahid Amiri, 17 Mehdi Taremi, 18 Alireza Jahanbakhsh (14 Saman Ghoddos 70), 19 Majid Hosseini, 20 Sardour Azmoun, 23 Ramin Rezaeian

Saransk

Iran 1 Portugal 1

Scorers

Iran: Ansarifard 90+3pen

Portugal: Quaresma 45

Match overview

Portugal reached the knockout stage but not as group winners after conceding a controversial late equaliser to Iran in a dramatic match that was dominated by questionable VAR decisions.

Portugal enjoyed the greater possession in the first half but Cristiano Ronaldo was well shackled and they needed individual brilliance from Ricardo Quaresma to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time.

Iran keeper Alireza Beiranvand looked shaky on crosses but saved a second-half Ronaldo penalty that had been awarded following the intervention of VAR.

Portugal were still on course to top the group until Iran were awarded a questionable stoppage-time penalty, again via VAR, which was converted by Karim Ansarifard. Mehdi Taremi could have snatched a last-gasp winner for Iran but shot into the side netting.

Matter of fact

The two penalties awarded in this game took the total number of spot-kicks to 20, exceeding the previous tournament record of 18.

Talking point

Paraguayan referee Enrique Caceres made three questionable decisions after consulting at length with the video officials. Ronaldo won a penalty after colliding with Ezatolahi and was then booked but not sent off for an elbow. But the ref saved his worst decision for stoppage time, when he awarded Iran the late penalty for handball.

Stats

Iran/Portugal

Possession (%): 33/67

Goal attempts: 8/14

Attempts on target: 5/7

Corners: 1/5

Fouls: 16/10

Pass accuracy (%): 68/89

Distance covered (km): 93/89

Portugal vs Morocco (20th June) Match Report

Match preview here

Portugal Starting XI: 1 Rui Patricio, 3 Pepe, 5 Paphael Guerreiro, 6 Jose Fonte, 7 Cristiano Ronaldo, 8 Joao Moutinho (23 Adrien Silva 89), 10 Joao Mario (16 Bruno Fernandes 70), 11 Bernardo Silva (18 Gelson Martins 59),14 William Carvalho, 17 Goncalo Guedes, 21 Cedric Soares

Morocco Starting XI: 12 El Kajoui, 2 Achraf Hakimi, 4 Manuel Da Costa, 5 Mehdi Benatia, 7 Hakim Ziyach, 8 Karim El Ahmadi (11 Faycal Fajr 86), 10 Younes Belhanda (23 Mehdi Carcela 75), 13 Khalid Boutaib (9 Ayoub El Kaabi 69), 14 Mbark Boussoufa, 16 Nordin Amrabat,17 Nabil Dirar

Moscow Luzniki

Portugal 1 Morocco 0

Scorers:

Portugal: Ronaldo 4

Morocco: none 

Match overview

Another game, another goal for Cristiano Ronaldo, whose record-breaking early header was enough for Portugal to see off an energetic Morocco side who could consider themselves desperately unlucky to be heading out at the group stage.

Rather from seeking to extend their advantage after taking the early lead, Portugal stepped back and allowed Morocco to dominate for much of the game. The Moroccans had a host of chances to turn their dominace into goals but were halted by a combination of brilliant saves by Rui Patricio and their own profligacy, particular from captain Mehdi Benatia.

Ronaldo had strong claims for a penalty late in the game when he was tripped by Nordin Amrabat, while Pepe again blotted his copyboook by collapsing to the ground after being tapped on the shoulder by Benatia.

Matter of fact

Ronaldo scored his 85th international goal, eclipsing the total of Ferenc Puskas to become Europe’s leading goalscorer.

Talking point

Goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo was named as the official man of the match, but any number of Morocco’s players – particularly Younes Belhanda and Hakim Ziyach – would have been more deserving of the award. 

Stats

Portugal/Morocco

Possession (%): 46/54

Goal attempts: 10/16

Attempts on target: 4/10

Corners: 5/7

Fouls: 19/23

Pass accuracy (%): 71/75

Distance covered (km): 105/107

Portugal vs Spain (15th June) Match Report

Can Cristiano Ronaldo inspire Portugal to another international trophy? – Match preview here

Portugal Starting XI: 1 Rui Patricio, 3 Pepe, 4 Raphael Guerreiro, 6 Jose Fonte, 7 Cristiano Ronaldo, 8 Joao Moutinho, 11 Bernardo Silva (20 Ricardo Quaresma 69), 14 William Carvalho, 16 Bruno Fernandes (10 Joao Mario 68), 17 Goncalo Guedes (9 Andre Silva 80), 21 Cedric Soares

Spain Starting XI: 1 David De Gea, 3 Gerard Pique, 4 Nacho, 5 Sergio Busquets, 6 Andres Iniesta (10 Thiago Alcantara 70), 8 Koke, 15 Sergio Ramos, 18 Jordi Alba, 19 Diego Costa (17 Iago Aspas 77), 21 David Silva (11 Lucas Vasquez 86), 22 Isco

Sochi

Final Score – Portugal 3 Spain 3

Scorers:

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo 4pen, 44, 88

Spain: Diego Costa 24, 55, Nacho 58

Match overview

One of the most exhilarating games ever seen at a group stage of the World Cup. Spain appeared to be heading for victory after twice recovering to cancel out goals from Cristiano Ronaldo. A third goal, from Nacho’s spectacular volley, was a just reward for Spain’s intricate and intense passing. But Ronaldo had the last word when he completed his hat-trick with a superb free-kick with two minutes of normal time remaining.

Man of the match

Cristiano Ronaldo joined the small list of players who have scored in four World Cups.

Matter of fact

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 51st hat-rick of his career. It was also the 51st hat-trick scored as a World Cup.

Talking point

This was the first game in charge for Spain’s interim coach Fernando Hierro following the sacking of Real Madrid-bound Julen Lopetegui. But their opening two goals – the first set up by a long ball, the second via a set-piece – were not typically Spanish.

Stats

Portugal/Spain

Possession (%): 39/61

Goal attempts: 8/12

Attempts on target: 3/5

Corners: 4/5

Fouls: 12/10

Pass accuracy (%): 87/93

Distance covered (km): 102/103

Portugal World Cup Guide

Spearheaded by the irrepressible Cristiano Ronaldo – just the 15 goals for the captain in nine 2018 World Cup qualifiers – Portugal’s near faultless campaign of nine wins in 10 games only confirmed that the Selecao are experiencing a golden age. Coach Fernando Santos has won all but one of the 17 qualifying matches that Portugal have played since he took the reins in September 2014, with the small matter of a European Championship triumph in the middle. In what will be Ronaldo’s last shot at leading his country to the ultimate prize, Portugal travel to Russia in optimistic mood, although there are concerns about younger alternatives for central defenders Pepe, Jose Fonte and Bruno Alves – who have a combined age of over 100 years.

Key Moments in Qualifying  

Sep 2016
Without the injured Ronaldo, the newly-crowned European Champions are brought back down to earth with a bump as Switzerland register a thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory in Basle.
Oct 2016
Andre Silva becomes the youngest player ever to score a hat-trick for Portugal as they win 6-0 away to Faroe Islands.
Sep 2017
A scrappy Andre Silva goal gives Portugal victory in a bad-tempered match in Budapest to effectively set up a decider against Switzerland.
Oct 2017
A surprisingly straight-forward 2-0 triumph over the Swiss in Lisbon sees Portugal overtake their opponents at the top of the group and book their place in Russia.

Portugal World Cup Group

Portugal head up Group B, which contains their Iberian rivals Spain, along with Morocco and Iran.

Portugal World Cup Friendlies

Portugal kicked off their 2018 international friendlies on the 23rd of March against Egypt and Mohamed Salah and a 2-1 win. They then lost to the Netherlands three days later. Two draws against Tunisia and Belgium followed, and finally, on the 7th of June, they beat Algeria 3-0.

  • 23rd March – Egypt (won 2-1)
  • 26th March – Netherlands (lost 3-0)
  • 28th May – Tunisia (drew 2-2)
  • 2nd June – Belgium (drew 0-0)
  • 7th June – Algeria (won 3-0)

Portugal World Cup Fixtures

The first game in Group B for Portugal is against their rivals Spain on the 15th of June which will likely be one of the games of the tournament. The result will probably decide who tops the group, after which Portugal will then play Morocco and Iran on the 20th and 25th of June respectively.

  • 15th June – Spain (drew 3-3)
  • 20th June – Morocco (won 1-0)
  • 25th June – Iran (drew 1-1)

The Coach

Fernando Santos, age 63 (10.10.54)
Having replaced Paulo Bento, it is now three years at the helm for a man who can rightly be considered as the best coach in Portugal’s history. His current contract runs until 2020.

Santos: Coach of Portugal Fernando Santos will look to repeat his success at the Euros (Getty Images)

The Players
Stars
Andre Silva announced himself in style, scoring nine goals and forming a lethal partnership with Ronaldo.
Stalwarts
Pepe remains the bedrock of Portugal’s defence, while Ricardo Quaresma and Joao Moutinho continue to make key contributions. For all three, Russia will be their final chance of World Cup glory.
Missing
Raphael Guerreiro, who missed much of the qualifying campaign, has proved himself to be a clone of his predecessor at left-back Fabio Coentrao: brilliant whenever he plays but extremely injury-prone.
Debuts
Goncalo Guedes made two appearances in 2015 as an 18-year-old and returned to the side this year.

Portugal World Cup Squad

Final 23-man squad- 

GOALKEEPERS: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Goztepe), Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon)

DEFENDERS: Bruno Alves (Rangers), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Dalian Yifang), Mario Rui (Napoli), Pepe (Besiktas), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Ricardo Pereira (Porto), Ruben Dias (Benfica)

MIDFIELDERS: Adrien Silva (Leicester), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Mario (West Ham), Joao Moutinho (AS Monaco), Manuel Fernandes (Lokomotiv Moscow), William Carvalho (Sporting)

FORWARDS: Andre Silva (AC Milan), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Gelson Martins (Sporting Lisbon), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)

Portugal World Cup Injuries

We will update you with injuries to Portuguese players regularly.

Box Office: Ronaldo is a superstar of the game with World Cup glory being the only omission on his resume (Getty Images)

The Unanswered Questions

Have enough of the side had sufficient playing time this term?
While the current crop of young Portuguese talent has undoubtedly got potential, few can be considered regular starters for their club sides. What will time spent on the bench do for the match fitness and confidence levels of Andre Silva (Milan), Joao Mario (West Ham) and Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)?

Will a lethal strike-force take its qualifying form to Russia?
For years Portugal struggled for a reliable goalscoring centre-forward, but that search looks to be over as Andre Silva has started his international career in spectacular fashion and has great chemistry with Ronaldo – they shared 24 goals in qualifying.

Dilemma: Santos has not figured out how to use Silva yet (Getty Images)

How will Santos use Bernardo Silva?
Silva is widely acknowledged as the biggest talent to come out of Portugal since Ronaldo, but Santos has struggled to get the best out of him. Wide right in a flat and narrow 4-4-2 is his usual position, but many are calling for the coach to implement a diamond formation with Silva at the attacking tip.

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