Teams
Portugal required the playoffs to qualify for three of the last four World Cups and tend to stumble towards qualifying for major tournaments, but this time around, they managed to win each of their first three games to put them on their course, and despite stumbling against Hungary and Ireland thereafter, a crushing 9-1 win in the final gameweek ensured they did not require any playoffs this time around. It is the 6th straight World Cup that they qualified for, but will be disappointed at having being knocked out by Morocco four years ago in Qatar. They are in a group that they are expected to get out of and will looking to carry on the momentum from their win in the UEFA Nations League just last year.
In what is surely his last World Cup, Ronaldo will be gagging to go out with a bang and lift the Jules Rimet trophy for his nation, like his rival Messi did for Argentina four years ago. At 41, his record is truly remarkable, and despite having won nearly every trophy available at every club he has been up, the World Cup is the last piece of silverware that eludes him. In terms of appearances, he has more than 80 more for Portugal than second placed Joao Moutinho, whilst for goals, he has just under 100 more than second placed Pauleta. He could even reach 1000 professional goals by the end of the tournament, an unthinkable feat.
