What is Portugal’s route to the World Cup final? Discover who their potential opponents are whether they top their group or finish as runners-up instead!
Though they are yet to win the tournament, Portugal have many elite players who put them into contention to become the 2026 World Cup winners. The question is – if they’re going to win the competition, what will their route to the final be?
With some of their players coming to the back end of their careers and others still hungry for more success, winning the tournament will certainly be on their minds. Especially after coming off the back of beating Spain to win the 2025 Nations League, Portugal have got some winning momentum ahead of the World Cup.
Below, we’ll cover Portugal’s potential World Cup route and when they’re expected to play each round. We’ll also cover different paths for if they qualify top of their group or as runners-up instead. With some incredible World Cup matches lined up, let’s get stuck in…
Who do Portugal play in the group phase?
The group phase has put Portugal up against Uzbekistan, Colombia, and DR Congo. Considering Portugal are the best-ranked team in the FIFA rankings, being placed sixth, they should top this group on paper.
Colombia look like they’ll present the largest challenge for Portugal, being only eight places behind them in FIFA’s rankings and having top-class players such as Bayern Munich’s Luis Diaz and Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz.
Portugal’s route to the final should they win their group
So, if Portugal get past the group stage, what happens next? Well, should they top Group K, here are their potential opponents en route to the final.
Round of 32
July 3rd vs Group D/E/I/J/L third place
So, Portugal have topped their group, placing them against one of the third-placed teams in groups D, E, I, J, and L. This means that Portugal will play one of 20 different teams, but the odds indicate who they may face off against.
There’s a good chance that their round of 32 opponents will be one of Paraguay, Ivory Coast, Algeria, or Ghana, as they’re said to be the most likely teams to finish third in their respective groups.
Round of 16
July 7th vs Switzerland
If Portugal dispatch their opposition in the round of 32, their round of 16 opponents are set to be the winner of Group B. The odds suggest that this will be Switzerland.
Should Switzerland be overcome by their round of 16 opponent, alternative options in this game could be Paraguay, Ivory Coast, Iran or Senegal.
Quarter final
July 11th vs Argentina
As we get towards the back-end of the tournament, Portugal’s campaign looks like it’s heating up. With Argentina looking like their most likely opponent here, this could be a potential final meeting between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi!
With the odds saying that Argentina’s round of 16 rivals will likely be Egypt, the Albiceleste are favourites to make it into the quarter-finals.
Semi-final
July 15th vs England
The Three Lions seem like the most likely semi-final opposition for Portugal. This is because their quarter-final adversaries, Brazil, aren’t quite as favoured as England in the matchup between the two teams.
With Portugal and England’s last clash at the World Cup being a tense game between the two nations, there is somewhat of a rivalry between the two. Portugal narrowly came out on top in the drama-filled affair after winning on penalties, but the history leaves an interesting matchup on the cards!
World Cup final
July 19th vs Spain
Concluding the 2026 World Cup, with Portugal topping their group and fighting through the knockouts, the final showdown looks set to put them up against Spain. To win their first World Cup, Portugal are going to have to get past the reigning Euros Champions, armed to the teeth with attacking talent like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
If Spain fail to reach the final, Portugal may have Germany, France, or Belgium as their opponents instead.
Portugal’s route to the final should they not win their group
As football is so unpredictable, we can’t presume that Portugal will top their group. To account for this possibility, we’ve worked out Portugal’s route to the World Cup final if they placed second in Group K instead.
Round of 32
July 2nd vs Croatia
So, Portugal have failed to top their group and finished as runners-up. In this scenario, it seems like they’ll face the 2018 finalists Croatia, as the odds expect them to finish behind England in Group L. The last matchup between these two teams was in the 2024 Nations League, seeing the two draw 1-1.
If Portugal placed third in their group, then they could face off against England, giving us a clash between giant footballing nations early in the tournament!
Round of 16
July 6th vs Spain
Spain then appear to be Portugal’s next challenge in the round of 16. With them predicted to top Group H, they’ll play Group J runners-up and are favourites to progress against what will likely be Austria.
Should Portugal place third in their group, their opponents are expected to be Mexico, who could pose more of a threat as they’re co-hosting the tournament.
Quarter final
July 10th vs Belgium
Looking into the potential latter stages of the World Cup, the Red Devils are said to be the most likely quarter-final opponents for Portugal here. Considering they look like they’ll play the USA in the round of 16, they are predicted to better the hosts. However, with home advantage, who knows what the USA could achieve at the 2026 tournament.
Semi final
July 14th vs France
The 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up are expected to be Portugal’s semi-final challenge. Certainly one of the toughest prospects to face at the World Cup, France’s recent record in the tournament speaks for itself.
World Cup final
July 19th vs Argentina
So, Portugal have bounced back from the disappointment of finishing second in their group, who could their final challenge be?
The 2022 World Cup champions Argentina are the most likely to be Portugal’s opposition in the final. This means that we could have a game for the ages, with a Messi vs Ronaldo showdown for the World Cup – what a finale this would be!
