Portugal Face Nigeria in Final Pre-World Cup 2026 Friendly

Portugal will play their final friendly before the 2026 World Cup when they host Nigeria on Wednesday (June 9) at the Dr Magalhaes Pessoa Stadium in Leiria. The match kicks off at 21:45 local time (20:45 GMT).

After this match, coach Roberto Martinez's side will fly to North America and set up camp in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (USA). Portugal are considered one of the leading candidates for the World Cup title, with a squad packed with quality players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.

Earlier, Portugal won 2-1 against Chile in a friendly in Oeiras, thanks to goals from Goncalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes. However, the match was fiery, with both sides having a player sent off; Portugal's Rafael Leao received a red card for punching a Chilean player.

For Nigeria, although they failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the team remains unbeaten in their last six matches and promises to provide a tough test for their opponents. Nigeria lost to DR Congo on penalties in the African play-off final, missing out on the global football festival for the second consecutive time.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo play?

The 41-year-old superstar played the first half against Chile and was substituted at the start of the second half. Ronaldo is still in the squad to face Nigeria and could be given a few more minutes to prepare for what is likely his final World Cup. He has scored 143 goals in 227 appearances for his country and won Euro 2016.

Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman absent

Nigeria's star duo Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are both not in the squad to face Portugal. Both have been given rest after a busy season. Atletico Madrid requested that Lookman be rested, while Osimhen is also being managed for fitness.

Portugal's World Cup schedule

Portugal begin their 2026 World Cup campaign next Wednesday, facing DR Congo in Houston, Texas (USA) at 12:00 local time (17:00 GMT). Six days later, they meet Uzbekistan at the same venue on June 23, before concluding the group stage with a highly anticipated match against Colombia in Miami on June 27.

Why are Nigeria not at the World Cup?

Nigeria are absent from the World Cup for a second consecutive time after a turbulent qualification campaign. The team went through three coaches (Jose Peseiro, Finidi George and Eric Chelle) during qualifying. Before the play-off semi-final against Gabon, Nigerian players went on strike over unpaid bonus disputes, though the issue was eventually resolved.

Looking to the future

Nigeria will soon focus on qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. After finishing third at the most recent CAN, coach Eric Chelle hopes the qualifying campaign will run more smoothly. The team have had positive recent results, including draws with Poland and Jordan, and a win over Iran.

Head-to-head record and predicted lineups

The two sides have met only once before, in a pre-2022 World Cup friendly, with Portugal winning 4-0 (Bruno Fernandes scored a brace, Goncalo Ramos and Joao Mario also got on the scoresheet).

Portugal: PSG players such as Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos have joined the squad after winning the Champions League. Rafael Leao, despite being sent off against Chile, is eligible to play.

Predicted Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot, Ruben Dias, Goncalo Inacio, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves; Bernardo Silva, Goncalo Guedes, Pedro Neto.

Nigeria: Apart from Osimhen and Lookman, Samson Tijani and Alhassan Yusuf are also missing due to visa issues. Terem Moffi and Akor Adams are expected to start up front.

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.