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January 17, 2026
Every World Cup throws up dramatic storylines. Despite having a talented squad, Portugal isn’t one of the top five favourites for the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo and his team will be looking to upset the odds...
The country may often produce great players but Portugal has never won the World Cup. The closest the nation came was third place in 1966. 2026 gives them a chance to add to their famous European Championship success in 2016. That won’t be easy but Portugal could well go all the way. In what is likely to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup, he’ll be desperate to lead his team to glory. It would be a fairytale ending for the greatest international goalscorer of all time.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Out of this world!
Before looking at whether or not Portugal can win the World Cup it’s important to look at what the odds say about their chances. It will be tempting for Ronaldo fans to bet on the team but gambling should always be done with your head, not your heart. That’s why it’s a great idea to look at data-driven betting tips so you can have logic and reasoning behind your sports betting.
If there is one team that doesn’t provide much value at the World Cup, it’s Spain. They are going through another period of having immense talent and will be hoping to add to their win in 2010, along with being the holders of the European Championship.
The other teams ahead of Portugal in the betting odds are England, France, Brazil and Argentina. For those looking for an outside bet, Erling Haaland’s Norway or the unfancied Italy could end up causing a few surprises. Given that Portugal is the sixth favourite, betting on them to bring the trophy home could bring some high returns.
Portugal should have few problems getting out of their group. Uzbekistan and a low-ranked playoff winner should be easy games. Colombia will be a much tougher test but even if they lose that game, they should qualify regardless. If they won the group, facing them in the last 32 would be a team that finished 3rd in one of the other groups.
In the last 16, they would most likely face the winner of Group B, with the strongest team there being Switzerland. That could potentially set up a quarter-final against Argentina, which would surely be the last time Ronaldo got to play against his old rival.
Portugal has the talent to compete with anyone and they don’t rely on Ronaldo to carry the attacking burden. There is plenty of balance and while they don’t quite have the breadth of quality of some other teams, they will be very dangerous.
Winning the World Cup may still require a bit of magic but Portugal seemingly has an easier route to the last 8 than many other teams. If they get there, they have the players capable of producing enough magic to beat anyone.
The Golden Boot is always hard to predict. The best players may be knocked out early and sometimes other players get the spotlight instead. As with the national team, Ronaldo sits around sixth place in the betting.
Mbappe and Kane lead the favorites, with Messi, Haaland and Yamal all seen as having a great chance of claiming the trophy. Ronaldo has a great opportunity, especially with Portugal’s favorable draw. He could be relishing scoring a few goals against the likes of Uzbekistan.
He’ll most likely still be the team’s designated penalty taker and is likely to take a few free kicks. It seems almost certain he’ll at least get some goals. Winners of the Golden Boot often get in the region of 6 to 8 goals. Ronaldo is certainly capable of that.
Sadly, yes. That’s if you are to believe the man himself. He hasn’t given a specific date for his international retirement but he confirmed that 2026 will be his last major tournament. Even if he backtracks on that decision, it’s hard to see him playing a World Cup at the age of 44.
The question then comes of where his World Cup will end. He will be hoping that’s the Met Life Stadium in New Jersey, which is the host of the final. There will be a lot of focus on Ronaldo due to the immense history he has in the game.
The legend’s career is in its last few chapters. He has never been able to win the World Cup, mainly due to never having quite enough talent around him. No one expected Portugal to win the European Championship in 2016. Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping a similar fairytale could happen to give him the one trophy he most deserves.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on January 17, against Al Shabab, for the Saudi Super League. You can watch Al Nassr vs Al Shabab, Real Madrid vs Levante, Racing Santander vs Barcelona, Manchester United vs Manchester City, Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal and PSG vs Lille, all matches provided from our soccer live game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Nassr vs Al Shabab kick-off time (17-01-2026):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 01:30
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 23:00
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+3: 20:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:30
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 17:30
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 14:30
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 13:30
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 10:30
Sources: ronaldo7.net / nytimes.com / fifa.com
