Ronaldo Declares Portugal Ready for World Cup After 2-1 Win Over Nigeria

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed confidence in his country’s readiness for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the European side secured a 2-1 victory over Nigeria’s Super Eagles in an international friendly match on Wednesday night.

The match, played at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria, served as Portugal’s final warm-up fixture before the start of the World Cup. Pedro Neto opened the scoring for the hosts in the 23rd minute before Nigeria responded through Akor Adams, who levelled the score before halftime. Francisco Conceição later netted the winning goal to hand Portugal a narrow victory.

Despite Portugal’s victory, Ronaldo endured a frustrating evening in front of goal, missing several clear opportunities and failing to add to his record international goal tally. The 41-year-old forward was substituted in the second half after leading Portugal’s attack for much of the contest.

Following the match, Ronaldo took to social media to send a brief but confident message about Portugal’s World Cup ambitions.

“The preparation is done. Eyes on the World Cup,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner wrote alongside a photo from the game.

The victory extended Portugal’s positive run heading into the tournament, where they have been drawn in Group K alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, and Uzbekistan. Portugal are considered among the favourites to challenge for the title as Ronaldo prepares for what is expected to be his sixth and final FIFA World Cup appearance.

For Nigeria, the match provided another opportunity to test the squad against elite opposition despite missing out on qualification for the World Cup. The Super Eagles produced a competitive performance and will take positives from their display against one of Europe’s strongest teams.