The clash between Ronaldo and Messi is approaching.. What awaits Portugal in the qualifying round of the World Cup?

The Portuguese national team is close to securing a ticket to the second round of the 2026 World Cup after a triumphant victory over Uzbekistan. What is in store for it if it wins promotion?

Portugal, who opened the World Cup with a surprise draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo, staged a strong comeback to thrash Uzbekistan 5-0 in the second round of Group 11 on Wednesday night.

Group position after Portugal-Uzbekistan match

Portugal took their tally to four points to temporarily top the group, while Uzbekistan suffered their second defeat of the tournament after losing to Colombia, failing to earn a point and finishing fourth.

Colombia, on the other hand, are second in the group with 3 points and can regain the top spot if they win against Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round, which will be played at dawn tomorrow, Wednesday.

The Portuguese team can finish the group stage in the first or second place, and is also guaranteed to take at least the third place in the group, because Uzbekistan cannot surpass the figure of the European team.

The confrontation between Portugal and Colombia in the third round, which will be held at dawn next Sunday, will be decisive for the first place in the group.

What awaits Portugal in the second round?

And just FIFA websiteIf Portugal finishes the group stage at the top of Group 11, it will face the fourth, fifth, ninth, tenth and third-placed team in one of Group 12 in the second round.

If coach Roberto Martinez’s side finish second in the group stage, they will face the runners-up in Group 12, which includes England, Ghana, Panama and Croatia, noting that the African team is currently in second place.

In the worst case, if the Portuguese team ends up in the top three, they will play a match with the winner of the last group, which is currently the England team.

A dream showdown is coming.

If Portugal ends the group stage in the leading position, they will have a historic showdown against Argentina in the quarter-finals, where they will shock legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

After winning the first two games against Algeria and Austria, Argentina secured the first place in Group 10, regardless of the result of the match against Jordan.

This scenario calls for Portugal to hold on to their lead at the end of the group stage, with both teams advancing to the second and third rounds.

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