Portugal will compete in their eighth World Cup in Qatar World Cup 2022, and coach Fernando Santos hopes his team can live up to the hype.
They have yet to win the coveted award, with their best finish being a third-place finish in 1966.
For over a decade, the global view of Portugal’s national men’s team has been Cristiano Ronaldo and ten others. Qatar 2022 will likely go down in Portuguese football history as ‘Ronaldo’s last World Cup.
We have traditionally seen Portugal as a suffering team owing to ineptitude and a lack of top-tier performing players. Still, because of their rising skills and numerous players establishing their value on the field, they are no longer considered a struggling squad. This time, the 2016 Euro Champions have been termed the golden generation, and manager Fernando Santos will be hoping that his team lives up to expectations in this World Cup.
They were placed in Group H with Uruguay, Ghana, and South Korea. This is not an easy group to put in, but given their resources, they will likely get to the knockouts, barring a dramatic shock.
They will begin their World Cup campaign in 2022 against Ghana on November 24.
Portugal World Cup 2022 Squad, Captain, and Coach
- Goalkeepers: Diego Costa, Rui Patricio, Jose Sa
- Defenders: Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Nuno Mendes, Ruben Dias, Antonio Silva, Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, Danilo Pereira
- Midfielders: Joao Palhinha, Matheus Nunes, William Carvalho, Ruben Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Joa Mario, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Otavio
- Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Fleix, Goncalo Ramos, Rafel Leao, Ricardo Horta, Andre Silva
- Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo
- Coach: Fernando Santos
Portugal Star Players
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
A quality Portugal team led by Cristiano Ronaldo will compete in his fifth World Cup, but it will be without key regulars from the national team.
Since the team’s fourth-place result in the 2006 World Cup, its most likable team has undoubtedly surrounded Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he has yet to win this particular championship.
After his recent incendiary interview with Piers Morgan, in which he attacked his current club Manchester United on a number of fronts, Ronaldo has been the subject of controversy.
However, since the striker has joined his national squad ahead of the competition, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s attention has now turned to Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The best overall World Cup performance by Cristiano Ronaldo was a semi-final berth in 2006. In that instance, France defeated Portugal in the semifinals.
There has been widespread criticism that the player’s skills have weakened with time. They set the scenario for Ronaldo to disprove his detractors in Qatar once more. It remains to be seen if he will be able to deliver.
2. Bruno Fernandes
As soon as Bruno Fernandes joined Manchester United in 2020, he made a difference. The midfielder is renowned for both his lethality in front of the goal and his ingenuity in the middle of the field. Since joining United, Fernandes has appeared in 100 league games and scored 38 goals.
By his standards, the 2021–22 season wasn’t the finest for the former Sporting midfielder, who only managed to score 10 goals and provide six assists in 36 games. With seven assists, he also had the most assist production in the Champions League that year. In the forthcoming World Cup, Ronaldo will be depending on his inventiveness to forge opportunities for himself.
Portugal World Cup 2022 Possible Lineup
- Goalkeepers: Diego Costa
- Defenders: Joao Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, Ruben Dias, Pepe
- Midfielders: Ruben Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva
- Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafel Leao
Thank you for reading it. Leave us a comment if you liked it.
Do follow us on: Google News | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | LinkedIn
Have a good day ahead
