Ronaldo's Portugal Face Super Eagles in Final World Cup Warm-up

Portugal's Seleção das Quinas, led by Roberto Martinez, faces Nigeria's Super Eagles in a final preparatory friendly before the World Cup. The match, held in Leiria, offers Martinez a crucial opportunity to assess his team's readiness, particularly against an opponent that mirrors their opening World Cup group stage challenge against DR Congo.

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this World Cup is another chance to make a statement.

Martinez, who previously led Belgium, is under pressure to perform in this World Cup. His Portuguese squad boasts a formidable lineup, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and João Félix. They enter the match on a four-game unbeaten streak, with their last defeat coming seven months ago against the Republic of Ireland. Portugal secured a convincing 4-0 victory against Nigeria in their last encounter in November 2022.

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Losing to Nigeria is not an option for him as his unbeaten squad aim to consolidate going to the World Cup proper.

On the Nigerian side, coach Eric Chelle has maintained a strong record over his 15 months in charge, with only one loss in regulation time. The friendly will mark a significant milestone for midfielder Alexander Iwobi, who is set to earn his 100th senior cap. Despite the absence of key strikers like Victor Osimhen, Chelle's team aims to put up a strong performance against the European giants, with prestige and momentum on the line.

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he has all his aces with him including five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, goalkeeper Diogo Jota, defenders Nélson Semedo, Rúben Dias and Diogo Dalot, midfielders Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and João Neves, and forwards João Félix, Gonçalo Guedes and Rafael Leão.