Portugal National Team World Cup Betting
This is probably the last chance that Cristiano Ronaldo has to lead Portugal to a World Cup. Ronaldo was able to help Portugal win the European Championship for the first time in 2016, but the furthest the Portuguese have been able to advance in the World Cup with him has been the semifinals. Portugal has been largely disappointing over its last three trips to the World Cup, but The Navigators are still favored to win Group H.
Manager: Fernando Santos
Nicknames: The Navigators, A Seleção
Confederation: UEFA (Europe)
FIFA Ranking: 8 (March 2022)
Portugal World Cup Betting Odds
To Win Group H: -155
To Win 2022 World Cup: +1300
*Odds as of May 4, 2022
Portugal Group Stage Schedule
Portugal vs. Ghana, Thursday, November 24, 2022, 11 a.m. ET, at Stadium 974 in Doha (FOX)
Portugal vs. Uruguay, Monday, November 28, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail (FOX)
South Korea vs. Portugal, Friday, December 2, 2022, 10 a.m. ET, at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan (FOX)
History at the World Cup
Appearances: 8 (first in 1996)
Best Result: Third place (1966)
Surprisingly, Portugal hasn’t been as strong at football as you might think given some of the stars they have had over the years. The Portuguese only made two appearances at the World Cup prior to the 21st Century, but they thrived in their debut in 1966 as Eusebio announced his presence to the world.
Eusebio won the Golden Boot at the 1966 World Cup, scoring nine goals in his lone appearance in this competition. He netted a brace to knock Brazil out before the knockout rounds, securing a first-place finish in the Group Stage. Portugal hammered North Korea 5-3 in the quarterfinals with Eusebio scoring four goals to overcome a 3-0 deficit before the Portuguese fell to eventual champions England in the semifinals. They were able to beat the Soviet Union in the third-place match to secure Portugal’s best performance yet.
The Navigators were unable to make it to the World Cup again until 1986, and they were eliminated in the Group Stage. They missed the next three World Cup competitions too, but they have now made the last six World Cups as Portugal has been one of the stronger teams in international football.
We saw the Portuguese make it to the semifinals at the 2006 World Cup thanks to the play of Luis Figo, Ricardo Carvalho, Rui Costa, and a young Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal won all three of its matches in the Group Stage and then defeated the Netherlands in the Battle of Nuremberg as a record four red cards and 16 yellow cards were issued. They proceeded to beat England in penalties after a scoreless 90 minutes before falling to France in the semifinals.
What to Watch
Disappointing has been the best word to describe Portugal during its last three World Cup appearances. The Portuguese have only won one match in each of those three trips to the World Cup and have not advanced further than the Round of 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, but he has been largely underwhelming at the World Cup. Ronaldo has just seven goals in 17 matches over four separate World Cups. His 186 caps and 115 international goals are both records that will likely never be broken, but this is probably the last opportunity for the 37-year-old.
The good news for Portugal is that they have some very talented forwards behind Ronaldo. Andre Silva, Goncalo Guedes, Diogo Jota, and Joao Felix are all in their 20s, and they are all playing for major clubs around Europe.
There is plenty of talent in the midfield too with Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Moutinho, and William Carvalho. The back line has a lot of solid players as well with names like Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Raphael Guerreiro, and anchor Pepe. Rui Patricio will likely be the first-choice goalkeeper once more.
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