2023 is the year when the best football national teams in the world will compete for the title of the best in the world. In 2018, the title gone to France, who beat Croatia in an exciting final match. As is the case with every championship that has occurred to this day, people are always wondering whose captain will lift the trophy at the end.
Not only that this is an exciting topic to discuss with your friends, but it is also a great opportunity to earn some money. Of course, we are talking about using your knowledge about the discipline to be on all matches, results, and ultimately, who will be the one on the throne after the competition is over.
There are numerous sites out there who provide kumpulan situs judi bola terpercaya, where you can take part in such activities. One of the candidates for the trophy in every tournament in the last 12 years is the national team of Portugal. Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo is always a key factor in these predictions.
Let’s take a look at the chances of Portugal winning the tournament in 2023.
The Ronaldo Factor
Naturally, Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside Lionel Messi, is the best possible addition to any team in the world. Whenever they are playing, that team is considered a favorite. Cristiano Ronaldo has a long and successful career, and he has managed to win countless trophies in various leagues and personal awards.
Also, he had some great performances in World Cups before. As we all know, Portugal wasn’t able to win any of the tournaments, but they always advanced through the group stage, and more often than not, they have been able to reach the quarterfinal, which is quite an achievement when you know who are their main competitors.
Even though Cristiano Ronaldo is not in his prime years, he still can provide his team with significant help on the field. This season, he didn’t play much for Manchester United, but he was able to score a couple of important goals. Also, it needs to be said that he is still one of their best players.
The Team
Alongside Ronaldo, we can see that Portugal has a lot of household names. One of the first ones that come to our mind is Manchester United’s, Bernardo Silva. So far, he has had a great season, scoring some significant goals, he has numerous assists, and his overall performance is exceptional. There’s no doubt he will be a major asset.
When it comes to the goalkeeping position, the place is reserved for an experienced Rui Patricio. We are talking about a goalkeeper with an exceptional career, who has been giving his best efforts for the national team for quite a long time now. Naturally, the central defender position goes to a veteran, Pepe.
Joao Cancelo has a couple of great seasons behind him, and we have no doubt he will be quite an asset in the tournament. Another player many will follow is Bruno Fernandes. Last season wasn’t the best for him. Nevertheless, many expect his explosion in November. When it comes to forwards, besides Ronaldo, we can expect Diogo Jota to be in the first eleven.
Head Coach
The head coach of Portugal’s national football team is Fernando Santos. Since he became the head coach, the team was able to win two major competitions, UEFA Nations League in 2018/19, and UEFA European Championship in 2016. Also, he was able to lead the team toward third place in FIFA Confederations Cup a year later.
He has been in this position since 2014, and he has the much-needed consistency to win a big competition. As we all know, having consistency like this ensures that the players will adapt to the requirements of their coach. We are not talking about the same job position as being a head coach of a club.
Group Stage
When you take a look at the group stage, more precisely at group H, you will find several competent teams. Portugal will compete against other powerhouses like Uruguay, South Korea, and Ghana. All these teams are the best on their respective continents, and they are filled with competent players.
When it comes to South Korea, Song-Min represents the greatest danger to Rui Patricio and his fellow defenders. But that doesn’t mean that this team doesn’t have other players who can be equally as effective in front of the goal. Luis Suarez announced that this is his last World Cup.
Therefore, we don’t have any doubt he will try to leave on a high note. Uruguay’s teams are always a force to be reckoned with, and we can expect they will repeat great performances from previous tournaments. Ghana’s national team will be led by Andre Ayew, one of the best African players ever, and they shouldn’t be underestimated.
Main Competitors
Now, we’ve come to the most interesting aspect of this article of ours, the main competition to Portugal. As we all know, several national teams are always considered favorites in tournaments such as these. At the same time, some names pop up and make a surprise. We know what Croatia achieved back in 2018.
When it comes to the biggest favorites for the title, we are talking about Brazil, France, and Germany. These three teams have won the competition on numerous occasions. Plus, the teams they have now are full of superstars from the most prominent teams in the world. One of the names we will mention is Kylian Mbappé.
Alongside these, we would say that Argentina always has a strong team. Sadly, it hasn’t been able to win the competition for decades, but they have played semi-finals a couple of times. Also, we feel it is important to take a look at Belgium, England, and the Netherlands.
Closing Thoughts
When you take a look at the odds various bookies have presented to their players, Portugal’s chances are not bad according to them. We are talking about 1-12. We believe that their chances are high, and we predict that their lowest result will be reaching the quarterfinals.
