Portugal has never won a World Cup. For a country that has produced so much football talent, that fact has always stung. They’ve reached the semifinals, won a European Championship, and sent some of the most gifted players of their generation to every major tournament.
But the one thing that would complete the story has always been just out of reach. This summer, under manager Roberto Martínez and with Cristiano Ronaldo in tow, they may finally have the squad to change that.
Here are my takeaways:
A memorial for Diogo Jota is seen on a screen in the stands at one of Portugal’s World Cup qualifier match. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
Before anything else, this has to be said.
Diogo Jota died on July 3, 2025, alongside his younger brother Andre Silva in a car accident in Spain. He was 11 days married, had three young children, and had just helped Portugal win the Nations League. He was one of the most beloved figures in Portuguese football. Every player in that squad announcement this morning knows what this tournament means in the context of what happened last July. Ruben Neves, one of Jota’s closest friends and a pallbearer at his funeral, wrote: “When I go to the national team, you’ll still be by my side at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane.” Portugal will carry his memory to every game.
Bruno Fernandes will be key in the attack. (Photo by Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
Make your case for Spain. Make your case for France. I’ll hear you out, sure. But Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and João Neves (21 years old and already looking like he’s been doing this for a decade) form a midfield trio as good as any team in North America will field this summer. The PSG pair of Vitinha and Neves have already won a Champions League trophy together.
Vitinha controls tempo the way very few midfielders in world football can. Neves presses, intercepts and covers more ground than seems physically possible. Bruno operates just ahead of them as the creative force that ties it all together. If Portugal goes deep into this tournament, and they should, this engine room will be the reason why.
Portugal’s collection of playmakers includes AC Milan’s Rafael Leão. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
