Portugal take on Czech Republic tonight in the Nations League.
It is their second last game before the World Cup as they host Spain on Tuesday night.
Manchester United have three players that are involved in the Portugal squad, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.
I caught up with PortugueseSoccer.com editor John Neves to ask him a couple of questions about our players in the Portugal squad. Make sure to follow their Twitter account for regular news on Portuguese football.
Dale: Cristiano Ronaldo has said he wants to play at Euro 2024. Do you think he can lead Portugal to European glory aged 39?
John: “Cristiano at his current age is still better than most players in Europe and he takes such great shape of his body that he will still be productive in 2024. Portugal has so much talent that one can say Portugal can win another EURO without him but with him playing, he can force so much focus on him that it will free up other players to do the damage. So, yes, I think he can still help Portugal to more European glory in two years but it may not be scoring 4 or 5 goals in the tournament. It could be forcing the opponent to worry more about him and let Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, Diogo Jota or Joao Felix have more space to work with.”
Dale: Diogo Dalot has been brilliant for United this season. How highly is he rated in Portugal?
John: “Everybody knows about Dalot in Portugal, but he is not as big of a name as the other stars on the national team, even though he plays for a big club such as Manchester United. As long as he does his job, he will get to play as is the case this weekend with Cancelo suspended for Portugal. Dalot will be a regular call-up to Portugal and is one of the players that will help lead the next generation. Many people like him in Portugal. He will only get better.”
Dale: Bruno Fernandes is a real favourite amongst our readers. How important is he to the Portugal national team?
John: “To be honest, Bruno has been a great player for his club teams but sometimes for the national team, his performances don’t match his club. He has had his moments for Portugal such as when he scored a brace against Turkey in the World Cup playoff but he could be better overall. The good news is that we are in the World Cup and he will have plenty of chances to meet expectations. I have said many times on my PortugueseSoccer.com podcast that if Bruno scores regularly for Portugal, we can be as good or better than any other team in the world. Imagine Bruno, Cristiano, Jota or Leao all having a great World Cup. They would be hard to beat but for now, we are hoping he will contribute more.”
Dale: Finally, do you think our three Portuguese players will be successful this winter in Qatar?
John: “Absolutely. All three of United’s Portuguese players will be at the World Cup and Cristiano and Bruno will start. If all three have a good World Cup, that would be some great news for Portugal and a boost of confidence for United fans.”