Ronaldo’s Portugal picked the most likely first-time winner by The Guardian
Could this be the year?
Ronaldo’s Portugal picked the most likely first-time winner by The Guardian originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . According to The Guardian , Portugal is the most likely out of all the countries that have never won the World Cup to be crowned champions, with the Seleção’s best finish being third place in 1966.
Portugal’s roster is a sneakily strong one entering the summer tournament 🚨🇵🇹 OFFICIAL: Portugal final World Cup squad has been released by Roberto Martínez. pic. twitter.
com/IpHYs5m2zr — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 19, 2026 Portugal have one of the most balanced squads in the world, with consistent top talent in all the major position groups. Cristiano Ronaldo , who will play in his sixth FIFA World Cup , will have plenty of attacking firepower to back him up. Rafael Leao, when at his best, can take over in any game.
Bruno Fernandes and Fernando Silva are some of the best creative midfielders of this generation, and Goncalo Ramos has been a key piece to PSG’s recent continental dominance. In defense, Portugal have Joao Cancelo and Nuno Mendes as premier attacking fullback options, which means that service into the final third probably won’t be a problem for them. The biggest question mark on this team is Cristiano Ronaldo himself.