Portugal v Nigeria prediction, lineups & tips: Selecao's final World Cup rehearsal

Cristiano Ronaldo could be making his final appearance on home soil in a Portugal shirt on Wednesday evening, and Roberto Martinez will want to send the Selecao to North America with a convincing win. Portugal host Nigeria at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa in Leiria, their last 2026 FIFA World Cup warm-up before flying to Florida and their Group K opener against DR Congo on June 17.

Portugal arrive in good shape. They beat Chile 2-1 on Saturday, with Goncalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes scoring, and Martinez now has a full squad at his disposal for the first time this window. The UEFA Champions League-winning quartet from Paris Saint-Germain, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos, have all joined up after PSG's final victory over Arsenal, and Matheus Nunes has returned to training after the fitness issue that kept him out against Chile.

Martinez has been clear on what this fixture means. "Against Nigeria, we have an opportunity to work on aspects that are similar to the strengths that Congo also has," he told reporters on Tuesday. "It's a different African team, with a lot of tactical flexibility." His record since taking over in 2023 stands at 29 wins, four draws and six defeats, and Fernandes' goal against Chile was the 100th scored under his management.

For Nigeria, the occasion feels very different. The Super Eagles are missing the World Cup for the second successive tournament after losing to DR Congo on penalties in the CAF qualifying playoff, the same DR Congo who await Portugal in Group K. Eric Chelle's side have won nine of their last 12 matches, however, and drew 2-2 with Poland in Warsaw on June 3, with Terem Moffi and Paul Onuachu scoring. They arrive in Leiria unbeaten in six games and with genuine motivation to improve on the 4-0 thrashing Portugal handed them in Lisbon in November 2022.

Nigeria have been competitive in this June window despite several absences. They retained the Unity Cup with wins over Zimbabwe and Jamaica before the Poland draw, and Chelle has built a more organised side that presses with intensity and carries pace in wide areas through Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze. The concern is purely attacking: without Osimhen and Lookman, the Super Eagles lack a focal point capable of punishing Portugal's high defensive line. Moffi and Akor Adams are expected to start up front, as they did against Poland.

Portugal's form under Martinez, Nations League winners and World Cup qualifiers as group winners, collecting 13 points from six matches, makes them clear favourites. Ronaldo, 41, played the first half against Chile and may feature here as he prepares for what is widely expected to be his sixth and final World Cup.

Martinez spoke about Ronaldo on Tuesday ahead of the Nigeria match. "Our captain sets an example in everything he does," he said. "He gives his all, 24 hours a day, to help the national team. Our captain and the rest of the players are not thinking about the future. The focus is on training, being the best, putting the concepts into practice and showing pride in wearing the shirt."

Martinez has signalled he will use the Nigeria match to give minutes to players across his 27-man squad, so rotation is likely. The PSG quartet are in contention to start, though Ramos may come off the bench. Nigeria are expected to line up in a 4-4-2, with Moffi and Adams leading the line as they did in Warsaw.

Portugal: Costa; Dalot, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Vitinha, Fernandes, Joao Neves; Bernardo Silva, Guedes, Pedro Neto

Nigeria: Okoye; Bewene, Ogbu, E Fernandez, Onyemaechi; Simon, Onyeka, Ndidi, Nnadi; Adams, Moffi

Portugal v Nigeria kicks off at 20:45 BST on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa in Leiria. In the UK, the match is available on Amazon Prime Video on a pay-per-view basis. A single match can be purchased for £2.99 without requiring a full Prime subscription, via primevideo.com.