Without its legendary captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who was out due to a muscle injury, Portugal was unable to beat Mexico (0-0) on Saturday evening at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Gonçalo Ramos missed a great opportunity to shine. Established at the forefront of the attack – with Joao Félix, Bruno Fernandes and Francisco Conceiçao in support – the PSG center forward missed two opportunities to shake the net in favor of the Seleçao. Roberto Martinez replaced him with Paulinho, CD Toluca striker, on the hour mark…
Nuno Mendes was the other Parisian player started but the left back gave way at half-time to Joao Cancelo. Vitinha and Joao Neves thus started the second half in midfield without managing to tip the balance to the Portuguese side. The last two cities will perhaps be lined up at the kick-off of the second friendly match against the United States, next Tuesday in Atlanta (kick-off 1 a.m. French time).
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Portugal spared at the 2026 World Cup
Despite this draw against the Mexicans, Portugal took the opportunity to do well in the Fifa rankings. The winners of the 2025 Nations League steal 5th place from Brazil two and a half months before the 2026 World Cup. By losing against the French team on Thursday (1-2), the Seleçao auriverde even fell two places since the Netherlands, winners of Norway (2-1), climbed into sixth position. Carlo Ancelotti’s team continues with a shock against Croatia next Tuesday.
The Portuguese could well approach the World Cup 26 with this honorary status of world number 5, with rather easy matches in group K against the winner of DR Congo-Jamaica, on June 17, then against Uzbekistan and Colombia, on June 23 and 27. After their coronation at Euro 2016 in France, the Lusitanian Seleçao occupied 3rd place in the Fifa rankings until the 2018 World Cup, but then sailed to the bottom of the top 10 during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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