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The Portugal national football team will enter the 2026 World Cup as one of the leading contenders for the title.

Supporters who believe Portugal can lift the World Cup trophy in 2026 may come from two perspectives.

Some back Portugal because of their exceptional squad composition, particularly their world-class midfield.

Bruno Fernandes is expected to lead the creative force of the team known as Selecao Das Quinas.

He will combine with Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Bernardo Silva to orchestrate both defensive and attacking transitions.

Many fans are also eager to witness Cristiano Ronaldo finally lift the World Cup trophy, the only major international title that has eluded him so far.

However, the hopes of the Portuguese side do not rest solely on their players.

The national federation has also made a bold move by reshaping the coaching staff.

They ended their collaboration with coach Fernando Santos and appointed Roberto Martinez as his successor.

Martinez’s appointment, however, did not completely erase doubts about Portugal's prospects.

His track record with national teams has not been particularly remarkable, especially in World Cup tournaments.

Indeed, he guided Belgium to a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.

Yet, that result was seen as an underachievement given the exceptional squad he had at his disposal, featuring stars such as Vincent Kompany, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku.

Despite managing one of the most talented teams in the world at the time, Martinez was unable to lead the Red Devils of Europe to ultimate glory.

Expectations were justified, considering Belgium’s dominance and their long-standing position at the top of FIFA’s world rankings.

Now, Martinez begins a new chapter with Portugal.

He finds himself in a familiar situation, overseeing another star-studded squad reminiscent of his Belgium tenure.

Portugal’s current lineup is packed with top-tier talent across all positions.

The challenge for Roberto Martinez is to guide Portugal to greater success than he achieved with Belgium.

There is no room for Portugal to settle for another third-place finish.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates believe it is time to lift the championship trophy and move past the knockout-stage disappointments of previous tournaments.

Unfortunately, Martinez has yet to demonstrate the ability to lead a team full of superstars to a World Cup title.

Under his leadership, Portugal did claim the Nations League title after defeating Spain.

However, the Nations League and the World Cup are competitions of very different magnitude.

Therefore, Roberto Martinez must ensure he does not repeat the same underachievement with Portugal that he experienced with Belgium.

Support for Portugal

Portugal’s national team is also highly popular among Indonesian fans.

Many football enthusiasts in Indonesia are backing Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates in the upcoming global tournament.

One such supporter is the President of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (NOC Indonesia), Raja Sapta Oktohari.

The NOC Indonesia chairman confidently predicted that Portugal would emerge as champions.

“For the 2026 World Cup, I have three teams in mind — Argentina, the Netherlands, and Portugal — but my heart leans more towards Portugal,” said Raja Sapta Oktohari to Tribunnews on Wednesday (3 June 2026).

“Why Portugal? First, because I’ve always liked Portugal, and this will likely be Ronaldo’s last dance. Usually, in a last dance, a player gives everything, especially someone like Ronaldo,” he emphasized.

(Tribunnews.com/Guruh, Abdul Majid)