Portugal Unveils 2022 FIFA World Cup Squad

By Jeff Stinger • November 17, 2022

Portugal wrap up their preparations for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. Head coach Fernando Santos just finalized his lineup for the competition. The shaky qualifying run means working through some of the crucial areas of the squad. They finished behind first-placed Serbia before securing playoff wins against Turkey and North Macedonia. Nonetheless, Santos showcased his talent and completed the first step. The team comes in strong as -164 Group H contenders despite going through a testing UEFA Nations League run.

Portugal 2022 FIFA World Cup Squad Announcement

Portugal have named their World Cup squad ???????? pic.twitter.com/ZaA98vMXFq
— GOAL (@goal) November 11, 2022

Ronaldo’s last hurrah

This is Portugal’s sixth World Cup appearance and possibly Cristiano Ronaldo’s last one. They look to reach their first-ever final with a star-studded squad for the mission. The Manchester United forward headlines the squad as captain while Santos has a sturdy starting XI. Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo plays the heart and soul of the team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer in men’s international soccer after all. Naturally, he is a strong contender to win the top goalscorer award in the 22nd edition of the World Cup as a +1,400 favorite to win the award.

The team needs to do better than Round of 16 appearances to achieve their goal of a first World Cup title. They have not made it past the first round of knockouts in the last three World Cups and even crashed out of the groups in 2014. That said, the underwhelming efforts call for a performance reminiscent of their Euro 2016 dream run. Having a new wave of emerging players and Santos’ leadership boasts a union of seasoned professionals and aspiring superstars.

Portugal 2022 FIFA World Cup lineup

Santos often favors a common 4-3-3 position for his lineup, with Ronaldo working alongside Ruben Neves, Joao Palhinha, or William Carvalho. Midfield protection will most likely be covered by Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. Defensive duties are headlined by Pepe and Danilo Pereria, flanked by Joao Cancelo, and a choice between Raphael Guerreiro or Nuno Mendes.

Led by star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, we see familiar names prepared to become the third back-to-back FIFA World Cup champions. Without further ado, here’s Portugal’s 26-man World Cup lineup:

Goalkeepers

Diogo Costa (Porto)
Jose Sa (Wolves)
Rui Patricio (Roma)

Defenders

Diogo Dalot (Manchester United)
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain)
Pepe (Porto)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Antonio Silva (Benfica)
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund)

Midfielders

Joao Palhinha (Fulham)
Ruben Neves (Wolves)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Joao Mario (Benfica)
Matheus Nunes (Wolves)
Otavio Monteiro (Porto)
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
William Carvalho (Real Betis)

Forwards

Andre Silva (RB Leipzig)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Goncalo Ramos (Benfica)
Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
Ricardo Horta (Braga)

Portugal is in an awkward group but looks strong ahead of their opening game against Ghana as -270 favorites. There are a handful of dark horses that should never be underestimated. Uruguay, for one, has one of the most formidable frontlines. Then there’s South Korea who has star Tottenham forward Son Heung-min on their side, offering strong attacking traits following their impressive 2018 World Cup victory over the Germans. Ultimately, Santos and Portugal have the tools and expertise for an accomplished run. This is a make-or-break situation for the nation if they want to pull off their best World Cup result in this generation.

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