Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal defeat Nigeria in their final friendly match ahead of the 2026 World Cup
In a very evenly contested match, Portugal managed to defeat Nigeria thanks to a brilliant goal from Francisco Conceição. With this victory, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team arrive unbeaten in their friendlies ahead of the 2026 World Cup, looking to be among the tournament’s main protagonists. Portugal and Nigeria faced each other in their final friendly before the 2026 World Cup, looking for a convincing victory. As one of UEFA’s best national teams, Roberto Martínez’s managed to defeat Eric Chelle’s team, imposing a dominant collective game. Nonetheless, the Super Eagles managed to compete along the game, leveling the game on several occasions. With this victory, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team secure a victory ahead the anticipated tournament. Despite failing to secure the victory, Nigeria did show that they are one of the most solid teams in Africa. Not only did they shine defensively, but they also created numerous attacking opportunities. In addition, they managed to adapt to Portugal’s style of play, making the contest very evenly matched for long stretches of the game. However, they lacked the attacking aggression needed to find a way past Diogo Costa. Throughout the game, Portugal demonstrated their creative prowess, with a brilliant Vitinha and João Neves. In the second half, João Félix emerged as the most important player, distributing play and activating his teammates. However, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to shine in any facet. Not only did he not contribute at a collective level, but he also missed clear scoring chances, extending his goalscoring drought. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Portugal have demonstrated that their greatest strength remains their deep roster. Head coach Roberto Martínez has a squad so deep that he can adjust his tactics numerous times throughout the 90 minutes. While build-up play continues to be their strongest aspect, they emerge as clear candidates to win the anticipated tournament, precisely because of their great rotation, as the winning goal came from Conceição off the bench.
