Portugal Starting Lineup vs Uruguary: World Cup Starting 11 Announced
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While he’s not quite in his best form, this looks like it will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last chance to cap off his illustrious resume by raising the World Cup. Unlike other tournaments, however, he won’t be the best player on what is shaping up to be a fairly stacked Portugal side. Let’s take a look at their lineup as they get ready to kick off what looks to be a fairly straightforward group schedule when they take on Ghana on November 24.
Portugal Starting 11 Vs. Uruguary
- GK- Diogo Costa
- LB- Nuno Mendes
- CB- Rúben Dias
- CB- Pepe
- RB- João Cancelo
- MF- Ruben Neves
- MF- William Carvalho
- MF- Bernardo Silva
- LW- Bruno Fernandes
- ST- Cristiano Ronaldo
- RW- João Félix
One of the major injury blows ahead of this midseason World Cup was Portugal’s loss of presumptive starting striker Diogo Jota. This means Portugal lose a bit of flexibility in terms of who to play up top, but the three remaining starting forwards are all fairly versatile, so it will be interesting to see exactly which role each one of them will fill. Each one has experience up top, as well as on the wing; I’m leaning towards Ronaldo as the striker not only because he’s the surest foot in front of goal, but also because at his age, his speed is finally starting to diminish and he would likely not be as effective on the wing as the younger stars, namely Serie A MVP Rafael Leão. The midfield is also fairly attacking-minded; Bruno Fernandes isn’t much of a defender, and while City’s Bernardo Silva is one of the most versatile players on the planet, he’s surely best suited in a role that maximizes his opportunities to create offense for his side.
The veteran William Carvalho will have to do a lot of heavy lifting to support possession and midfield defense, in front of a very veteran defending group. They’re anchored by Pepe; the legendary former Real Madrid star still sticking around as a mainstay on this portugal side. He’s flanked by younger talent such as Man City duo Rúben Dias and João Cancelo, another one of the more multi talented players in the tournament, as well as another veteran presence in Raphaël Guerriero; Rui Patrício will once again be a steady hand between the sticks. There’s solid doses of both experience and youth on this side, and more versatility in the lineup than most countries can boast; depth will be the only question in defining this team’s ceiling, as far as I’m concerned.
Portugal Starting Lineup History
Vs. Ghana
- GK- Diogo Costa
- LB- Raphaël Guerreiro
- CB- Rúben Dias
- CB- Danilo Pereira/li>
- RB- João Cancelo
- MF- Rúben Neves
- MF- Otávio
- MF- Bernardo Silva
- LW- Bruno Fernandes
- ST- Cristiano Ronaldo
- RW- João Félix
Portugal Starting 11 FAQ
- Who Is Portugal’s Starting Goalkeeper?
- Who Is Portugal’s Starting Striker?
- Who Is Portugal’s Best Player?
Who Is Portugal’s Starting Goalkeeper?
The Roma keeper Rui Patrico will be in the net for Portugal in this tournament; this could be the end of the road, the final major event in a long and very respectable international career.
Who Is Portugal’s Starting Striker?
As I discussed earlier, I expect it to be none other than the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. However if his performances slip, there are plenty of options even in Diogo Jota’s absence; a committee approach involving both Leão and Félix could be seen at some point.
Who Is Portugal’s Best Player?
In years past Ronaldo would have been an easy answer. However, now it’s between two of the City boys- Cancelo and Silva- and Leão. Based on both current form and performances for country, I’m going to have to lean towards Silva; he can help this team in so many ways, and I don’t think anyone else will be a bigger driver towards their potential success.
