{"id":7514,"date":"2017-09-18T06:35:36","date_gmt":"2017-09-18T10:35:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonfootball.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=7514"},"modified":"2017-09-18T06:35:36","modified_gmt":"2017-09-18T10:35:36","slug":"portugal-2018-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2017\/09\/18\/portugal-2018-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Portugal and the 2018 World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Portugal have been playing inspired football ever since Euro 2016, and now the nation is wondering if Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a> and the Selec\u00e7\u00e3o\u00a0<\/em>have it in them\u00a0to win the World Cup\u00a0next summer. The squad contains\u00a0top players from clubs all over the world in every position, and its depth is quite impressive.\u00a0Led\u00a0by arguably the greatest goalscorer on the planet in Cristiano Ronaldo, the team is ready to show that they have what it takes.<\/p>\n

Portugal have risen up to number third in the FIFA World Rankings, behind Germany and Brazil, and they need two wins from their final two qualifying fixtures to ensure that they will be at the World Cup finals in Russia. An away match at Andorra should not present a problem, but\u00a0their final match is against a tough Switzerland side, who beat them 2-0 in the reverse fixture, in Lisbon. Home advantage, however, means that they should have too much for their opponents.<\/p>\n

Can Portugal win the World Cup?<\/h2>\n

The Squad<\/h3>\n

Portugal are well-catered for in terms of goalkeepers.Rui Patr\u00edcio\u00a0has served\u00a0reliably for years now, and is still in his prime. The 29-year-old shot-stopper has been the\u00a0first-choice for Sporting Lisbon since 2007 and has 66 international appearances, making him one of the country’s\u00a0veterans. Other options to back\u00a0him up\u00a0include Anthony Lopes from Lyon and Bruno Varela from Benfica.<\/p>\n

They have several\u00a0solid centre-backs in their ranks, but their age may present a problem. By the start of the World Cup, Jose Font\u00e9 will be 34, Pepe will be 35, and Bruno Alves will be 36. Matching up against speedy, younger strikers will perhaps be a tough task. Experience, however, always proves to be important and this group has plenty of it.<\/p>\n

Injuries aside, Portugal\u00a0are stacked at full-back. Some of the talented players out of many include Jo\u00e3o Cancelo from Inter Milan, Rapha\u00ebl Guerriero from Borussia Dortmund, N\u00e9lson Semedo from Barcelona, and C\u00e9dric Soares from Southampton. Cancelo and Guerriero are currently recovering from lengthy injuries, but they should be back\u00a0in plenty of time to be match fit for the summer’s tournament. The full-backs should even out the athletic limitations of the central defenders.<\/p>\n

Midfield<\/h1>\n

Manager Fernando Santos will have a difficult time deciding who gets the majority of the playing time in the midfield. There’s plenty of talent in the team’s midfield, so competition to start between the players will be intense. Some of the names at Portugal’s disposal include William Carvalho\u00a0and Bruno Fernandes\u00a0from Sporting Lisbon, Andr\u00e9 Gomes from Barcelona, Jo\u00e3o Mario from Inter Milan, Jo\u00e3o Moutinho from Monaco, Renato Sanches from Swansea City, and Adrien Silva from Leicester City.<\/p>\n

These are just a few names, as there are plenty more worthy of the squad. Carvalho is likely to start as the defensive midfielder as he’s done nothing but impress there with the team, but the other positions are currently wide open.<\/p>\n

Attack<\/h1>\n

Portugal’s forwards are the team’s biggest strength. Ronaldo is the captain and an obvious guaranteed starter, but his supporting position players can also wreak havoc on defences. For starters, striker Milan’s Andr\u00e9 Silva has been clinical for the national team so far, scoring nine goals in 15 appearances,\u00a0and that tally will\u00a0 continue to grow. Bernardo Silva also has the creativity and skill to allow the strikers to flourish.<\/p>\n

Another\u00a0emerging talent\u00a0is Sporting Lisbon’s Gelson Martins. He too has plenty of skill and speed to make him a threat any time the ball’s at his feet. What’s more, there are also veterans hungry for more success such as Nani and Ricardo Quaresma. Any defence in the world\u00a0will be tested by Portugal’s attack.<\/p>\n

Already, the Portuguese side is looking very strong. Once qualification is ensured, fans will have every right to dream of going one better than their European Championship triumph.<\/p>\n

Main Photo
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>