Ireland and Portugal will clash in a pivotal UEFA World Cup qualifying fixture on Thursday evening, with both nations looking to edge closer to securing their spot at the 2026 tournament in North America.
The Boys in Green host the Seleção at a sold-out Aviva Stadium, setting the stage for what promises to be a tightly contested encounter.
Ireland vs Portugal – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 13th November.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
Ireland team news
Republic of Ireland will be without a number of key players ahead of this crucial fixture. Evan Ferguson, who scored the winner against Armenia last month, has been ruled out with an ankle injury sustained in Roma’s Serie A victory over Parma on October 29th and remains a doubt for Sunday’s final qualifier against Hungary.
Strikers Troy Parrott and Adam Idah are in contention to lead the line in his absence, with Johnny Kenny, the in-form Celtic striker who has scored four goals in four games following Martin O’Neill’s appointment as interim manager, available for selection after receiving his first senior call-up.
Mark Sykes has been sidelined with a shin injury, while Sammie Szmodics and Callum O’Dowda remain unavailable. Ryan Manning and Jayson Molumby are suspended but will be available for selection against Hungary. In a positive boost, Caoimhin Kelleher, who recently joined Brentford from Liverpool in a deal worth £18 million with add-ons, continues to provide goalkeeping depth for Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side.
Assistant coach John O’Shea has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to contain Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, telling reporters: “Listen, we managed to stop him in the last game. Portugal have plenty of threats in the team. He (Ronaldo) had that shot from outside of the box but otherwise the team as a unit, defensively in particular, did brilliantly in the duels and the crosses we had to deal with”.
However, O’Shea also acknowledged the importance of a well-drilled defensive unit, adding: “It will be a similar situation again on Thursday. We have to be tight, aggressive and have to clear crosses, the usual stuff that will go into a big Irish victory.”
Portugal team news
Portugal will be without Chelsea winger Pedro Neto and Pedro Goncalves of Sporting Lisbon, both of whom have withdrawn from the squad due to groin and muscle injuries respectively. There are also concerns surrounding left-back Nuno Mendes, whom manager Roberto Martinez recently described as “probably the best in the world right now” at his position, though his availability remains uncertain. Joao Cancelo is also a fitness doubt for the fixture.
However, the Seleção can call upon captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who enters this match in tremendous form. The 40-year-old has scored 10 goals from 11 Saudi Pro League games for Al-Nassr this season and is the all-time record goalscorer in World Cup qualifying with 41 goals. Ronaldo has scored five goals in four 2026 World Cup qualifiers so far and will be looking to add to his tally against Ireland, particularly having never scored against the Boys in Green on Irish soil despite previous attempts.
Roberto Martinez has maintained strict focus on the qualifying campaign, telling reporters: “We can’t talk about the World Cup. The focus is on qualifying. We want to win both games and then think about the future.” The Portuguese boss praised his captain’s mentality, saying: “There is no other player with more than 200 caps. He is an example to the group and very focused on qualifying in November”.
Form
Ireland
Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side are searching for a much-needed positive result after an inconsistent qualifying campaign. Ireland currently sit in third place in Group F with four points from four matches, just one point behind second-placed Hungary but five adrift of Portugal. Their recent victory over Armenia in their fourth Group F fixture provided a much-needed morale boost, with Evan Ferguson’s second-half strike securing a crucial 1-0 win.
Portugal
Portugal are unbeaten in their last seven international matches (W5 D2), demonstrating their strong form heading into this encounter. The Seleção sit top of Group F with 10 points from four matches, and a victory on Thursday would mathematically secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup, allowing them to wrap up qualification before their final fixture against Armenia.
Predicted lineups
Ireland: Kelleher; O’Brien, Collins, O’Shea; Coleman, Cullen, Taylor, Johnston; Ebosele, Azaz; Parrott.
Portugal: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Fernandes, Neves, Vitinha, Bernardo, Ronaldo, Leao.
How to watch Ireland vs Portugal?
UK viewers can watch the fixture on Premier Sports 1 or stream it via the Premier Sports Player app, with the contest also available on Amazon Prime Video on a pay-per-view basis featuring Premier Sports content.
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