Can Portugal qualify for the 2026 World Cup: Can it work without Cristiano Ronaldo?

Portugal’s journey to the 2026 World Cup is not over yet. Defeat in Dublin left their hopes pinned on the outcome of the final European qualifying round. The team coached by Roberto Martinez will have to wait until the final game to determine their status.

Portugal were on a comfortable track at the top of Group F before the Republic of Ireland struggled at home. However, Cristiano Ronaldo's red card and a two-goal defeat delayed their chances of sealing automatic promotion.

This situation puts Portugal under pressure. Their fate does remain in their own hands, but the results of other games could also impact their journey to tournaments in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Yet to qualify

Portugal has yet to qualify for the 2026 World Cup before the 10th match of qualifying. Victory against Ireland should have been enough to cement their top spot, but defeat has stalled them. The game against Armenia on November 16 will be a key point.

If they win in Porto, the tickets will be automatically safe. However, the situation is not as simple as that, as the results of other games may also determine the outcome. This dependence makes the pressure build before the final round.

Portugal has the advantage that their position can still be maintained without a win, depending on the result in Hungary. However, failing to score points opened the way to the playoffs.

Group F is highly competitive.

Scenarios involving Hungary and Ireland add to the complexity of Group F competition. If Hungary fails to defeat Ireland, Portugal will advance regardless of the result against Armenia. This situation provided Brazil with a little breathing room.

But if Hungary wins and Portugal loses, the situation will change. Automatically determining the ranking will be based on goal difference, which would put Portugal in a dangerous position. Even Ireland could still be a factor if they beat Hungary and Portugal lose.

In this case, Portugal and Ireland will have the same number of points. The decision will then come down to goal difference, which shows how tight the race for the automatic zone is.

Portugal's footprint in the World Cup

Portugal's performance record in the World Cup is not stable, despite having many star players.

A third-place finish in 1966 remains their best result, when Eusebio became top scorer with nine goals. From then on, their participation in the World Cup was rather limited until 2002.

After the games in Japan and South Korea, Portugal can always reach the finals. During this period, their furthest achievement came in 2006, when they reached the semi-finals. Beyond that, their journey usually ends at an earlier stage.