By Staff Reporter
Portugal will conclude their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they host Nigeria in an international friendly at Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria on Wednesday night.
Roberto Martinez’s side head into the match as one of the favourites for the global tournament and will be looking to build momentum before travelling to their World Cup base camp in Florida, United States.
The Portuguese secured a 2-1 victory over Chile in their previous warm-up match, with goals from Gonçalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes sealing the win. However, the encounter was marred by disciplinary issues as Rafael Leão was sent off in a heated contest.
All eyes will once again be on veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who is expected to feature against Nigeria after playing the first half against Chile. The 41-year-old forward is preparing for what is widely expected to be his final World Cup appearance. Ronaldo boasts an extraordinary international record, scoring 143 goals in 227 appearances for Portugal and leading the nation to UEFA Euro 2016 glory.
Nigeria, meanwhile, arrive in Portugal without a place at the World Cup after a disappointing qualifying campaign. Despite possessing stars such as Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, the Super Eagles failed to secure qualification, losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the African playoffs.
Osimhen and Lookman have both been rested for the friendly, while Samson Tijani and Alhassan Yusuf are unavailable due to visa complications. Terem Moffi and Akor Adams are expected to spearhead Nigeria’s attack.
Portugal’s squad has been strengthened by the arrival of Paris Saint-Germain quartet Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos, who recently completed their club commitments.
The two nations have met only once before, with Portugal recording a convincing 4-0 victory in a World Cup warm-up match ahead of Qatar 2022. Bruno Fernandes scored twice in that encounter, while Gonçalo Ramos and João Mário also found the net.
Following this fixture, Portugal will shift their focus to Group K of the World Cup, where they will face the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Nigeria will turn their attention to qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, hoping to build on recent positive performances under coach Eric Chelle.
Predicted Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, João Neves; Bernardo Silva, Gonçalo Guedes, Pedro Neto.
Predicted Nigeria XI: Maduka Okoye; Abdullahi Bewene, Igoh Ogbu, Emmanuel Fernandez, Bruno Onyemaechi; Moses Simon, Frank Onyeka, Wilfred Ndidi, Tochukwu Nnadi; Akor Adams, Terem Moffi.
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