Can Cristiano Ronaldo lead Portugal to another summer of glory (photo credit: Getty Images/Zimbio)?
Population: 10.4 million
Capital: Lisbon
Team Colors: Red and Green
How Qualified: Won UEFA Group B
Nickname: A Seleção das Quinas
7th World Cup
Head Coach: Fernando Santos (POR)
Key Players: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), João Moutinho (Monaco), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)
Best Performance: Third Place (1966)
Can they win a World Cup? After winning Euro 2016, the focus is now on winning the biggest prize of all. Despite a third place finish in the group stage, the Portuguese got it together in the knockout stages and ended up winning the European Championship.
The went undefeated in World Cup Qualifying, but required a superior goal difference to get the automatic bid ahead of Switzerland. They should progress in their group win or lose against Spain in the first match. How far the progress depends largely on Cristiano Ronaldo.
If other teams find a way to nullify him, then Portugal may have problems. Pepe and Bruno Alves still anchor the defense, but at 35 and 36 respectively, do they have enough in the tank?
Ronaldo has had a stellar 2018, but much like Lionel Messi until Euro 2016, his aura will feel somewhat incomplete without a championship for country. They won a Euro at long last, but can they translate that to a World Cup in Russia like Germany did in 1974 and Spain in 2010?
Everything appears to revolve around Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to Portugal, but everything should not if Portugal wants to add a World Cup to a Euro title.
Schedule:
June 15: vs. Spain in Sochi (1pm CT on FOX/Telemundo)
June 20: vs. Morocco in Moscow (Luzhniki) (7am CT on FS1/Telemundo)
June 25: vs. Iran in Saransk (1pm CT on FS1/NBC Universo)
Portugal
August, 2023
December, 2022
November, 2022
2018 World Cup
October, 2018
September, 2018
