Portugal set for final World Cup warm-up against Nigeria in Leiria
Roberto Martinez’s Portugal squad, bolstered by PSG arrivals, faces Nigeria in a pre-tournament friendly ahead of their Florida base camp deployment.
Portugal will conclude their preparations for the 2026 World Cup with a friendly match against Nigeria on Wednesday, June 9, at 21:45 GMT at Estadio Dr Magalhaes Pessoa in Leiria. The fixture serves as the final warm-up for Roberto Martinez’s side before they depart for their base camp in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, ahead of their campaign in North America.
Portugal enter the match following a 2-1 victory over Chile on Saturday, with goals from Goncalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes securing the win in Oeiras. The previous encounter was marked by disciplinary issues, including the sending off of Rafael Leao for punching a Chile player. Leao is available for selection against Nigeria, as is 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who played the first half against Chile and is included in the squad to potentially seek more playing time in what is expected to be his final World Cup.
The Portugal squad has been reinforced by players from Paris Saint-Germain, including Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, and Goncalo Ramos, who joined the team following their Champions League final victory. These players have now completed their rest period and are available for selection. Portugal’s World Cup Group K schedule begins on June 12 against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston, followed by a match against Uzbekistan on June 23, and a game against Colombia in Miami on June 27.
Nigeria, who failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, aim to use the match to gauge their form ahead of the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualification campaign. The Super Eagles are missing key attackers Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman due to workload management and rest requests from their clubs. Additional absences include Samson Tijani and Alhassan Yusuf, who are unavailable due to visa issues. Terem Moffi and Akor Adams are expected to start up front for Nigeria.
The Super Eagles have been unbeaten in their last six matches, including draws with Poland and Jordan and a win over Iran. Their recent history includes a turbulent qualifying campaign that saw three different managers and internal disputes, leading to their elimination in the African playoff final against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria will now focus on qualifying for the 2027 AFCON, which is jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The two nations have met once before in a World Cup warm-up match in November 2022, where Portugal won 4-0 in Lisbon. That victory featured two goals from Bruno Fernandes and late strikes from Goncalo Ramos and Joao Mario. The upcoming friendly in Leiria will provide a final opportunity for both teams to assess their squads before the respective tournaments commence.
