Portugal
Roberto Martínez took over after Qatar 2022 with one quiet objective: to make Portugal a midfield team again. He has largely managed it. Where the side once funnelled everything toward Cristiano Ronaldo, creation now flows through Bruno Fernandes and the clever Bernardo Silva, with Rafael Leão stretching defences on the flank and Rúben Dias anchoring the back. The numbers tell the bigger story. This is a ninth World Cup, a fifth in a row, yet a golden generation has never gone beyond a semi-final, and the Euro 2024 quarter-final, lost on penalties to France, stung accordingly. Ronaldo, now 41, remains the symbol rather than the engine. Drawn in Group K alongside Colombia, Uzbekistan and DR Congo, Portugal should win the pool comfortably, and for once they carry the depth to chase far more than that.
Standings · K
After matchday 3 of 3| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | COL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +3 | 7 |
| 2 | POR | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +5 | 5 |
| 3 | COD | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
| 4 | UZB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -9 | 0 |