Portugal at the Qatar World Cup 2022

Out of the 13 European slots in every FIFA World Cup, Portugal made it to the 22nd edition scheduled to hold in Qatar through a two-fixture qualification Play-off process. Having lost the automatic qualification spot to Serbia in the UEFA qualification stage no thanks to a 90th-minute stunner by Serbia's Mitrovic, Selecao were forced into playoffs with Turkey and North Macedonia, a fixture that denied four times World Cup winner Italy a place in the tournament. Their comfortable win over opponents in the Playoff was just enough to shake off any fear Portuguese fans nurtured earlier.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates will rely on the fate and belief that saw them through 2016 and 2019 when they were crowned European Champions and UEFA Nations League winners respectively. If rumors were right, then Qatar 2022 may just be Ronaldo's last kick of the ball with the Portuguese national team.

Portugal World Cup 2022 Group And Schedule

Paired in Group H alongside Portugal are South America Kings Uruguay, Black Stars of Ghana, and Korea Republic. While many would predict that Portugal is the favorite to top the group, any little complacency will provoke unwanted consequences. The table below shows how countries in Group H standings before the official kick-off of matches in alphabetical order.

Group G teams standing table

Schedule of Group H At The World Cup 2022

The different times and venues for the matches to be played by countries in Group H at Qatar World Cup 2022 have been drawn up here.

Group H match fixtures table

Portugal The World Cup For All Times

Their entry into Qatar World Cup takes the number of appearances at the world's biggest event to 8 in total. Significantly, Portugal has consistently qualified for the tournament since 2002. Though they are yet to be crowned champions, their achievements in 1966 and 2006 will be encouraging to improve on. The table gives a summary of Portugal and their involvement at the World Cup for all times and the years when the team was the prize-winners.

Portugal's all-time World Cup appearances 1930-2018

Portugal's FIFA World Cup 2022 Squad

The Selecao has never lacked talents to represent the Portuguese National team in recent times. Their star player is considered one of the greatest of all time as a result of his achievements with club and country. Cristiano Ronaldo's record as history's highest goalscorer in Men's international football is yet to be broken. With a combination of other talented players like fellow Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes and Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, the Selecao will match every other contender in Qatar when the competition begins.

• Star Players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Diogo Jota;
• Players to Watch: Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, Joao Felix;
• Captain and Vice Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes;
• World Cup Appearances (Last): 8 (2018);

With the same determination shown in European Nation Competition, Portugal will appear as an intimidating opponent in the World Cup Finals. For sure, the former European champions will make the cut in any bookmaker's top ten favorites to win the trophy.  

Possible Portugal's Starting XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1 (Left to Right) Rui Patricio, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Alves Diaz, Danilo Luis Pereira, Nuno Mendez, Ruben Day Silva Neves, William Carvalho, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Teixeira Jota, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Extras: Joao Felix, Renato Sanchez, Raphael Leao, Diogo Dalot, Vitinha, Matheus Nunes, Ricardo Horta, etc.

Who Is Portugal's Head Coach?

September 23, 2022, marked Fernando Santos’ 8-year spell with the Portuguese National team. The former Greece manager guided the Portuguese side to his first-ever major silverware in 2016 and 2019 where he won the European Championship and the inaugural European Nations League respectively. As nicknamed Engenheiro do Penta, the Portuguese-born Coach has recorded other successes at the club level, one of which was FC Porto's fifth consecutive Championship title in 1999. 

• Manager (Nationality): Fernando Santos (Portugal);
• Date Hired: 2 Sept 2014;
• Record as National Team Manager: (Competition and Friendlies), 63W - 23D - 17L;
• Major Titles Since Hire: 2019 UEFA Nations League and 2016 UEFA European Championship;
• Notable Victories: 4-0 vs the Czech Republic, 4-1 vs Croatia, 7-0 vs Estonia;

Portugal's Chances At The World Cup 2022

Amongst the first ten countries predicted to win the World Cup, Portugal stands at 12/1 in most bookie's odds to win the title, as the depth of their squad can not be overlooked. With the experience of the likes of Bernardo Silva, Ruben Diaz, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and co, the rest of the teams in Group H and other World Cup participants should have a reason to lose sleep. While we are aware that football is decided by tactics used on the pitch not on paper, beating a side like Portugal in Qatar will be every other country's fantasy.