World Cup Qualification 2026: Portugal-Hungary, the likely lineups

To win at home against Hungary to mortgage direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup: Portugal has only one goal in Tuesday night’s match against coach Marco Rossi’s Magyars, and they are coming from the success accrued in the final, last Saturday, against Ireland, defeated only at 91′ by Ruben Neves’s goal after Cristiano Ronaldo, a few minutes earlier, had failed a chance from the eleven meters.

Ruben Neves will be one of the two midfielders in the Lusitanian national team led by Roberto Martinez: next to him will be Vitinha to act as a filter in midfield, supporting the work, further forward, of Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Rafael Leao, the trequartisti designated to give a helping hand to the’only forward, Cristiano Ronaldo.

On the other side, Hungary is in turn looking for a positive result to consolidate second position, perhaps hoping for a simultaneous draw in the other group match between Ireland and Armenia. Coach Rossi will go for a square 4-4-2 with Lukacs and Varga in attack, while in midfield Szoboszlai will be only formally on the left flank, but will have license to center when the team needs him.

Probable lineups

PORTOGAL (4-2-3-1): Costa; Semedo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves; Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo. C.t. Martinez.

HUNGARY (4-4-2): B. Toth; Nego, Orban, Szalai, Kerkez; Bolla, Styles, Schäfer, Szoboszlai; Lukacs, Varga. C.t. Rossi.