Portugal’s World Cup 2026 qualifying group and schedule defined | OneFootball

In addition to booking a place in the final four of this year’s Nations League, Portugal’s victory over Denmark on Sunday defined their opponents in the qualification phase for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The Seleção will face Hungary, the Republic of Ireland and Armenia in Group F. If Portugal finish top of the section, they will automatically qualify for what would be a seventh consecutive World Cup appearance and their ninth overall. Should the Seleção end up runners-up in the group, they will have to negotiate a playoff to make the tournament.

The World Cup draw for European qualification took place in December 2024, but was contingent on the outcome of the Nations League quarter-finals.

If the Seleção had been knocked out by Denmark, they would have faced off against Greece, Scotland and Belarus in qualifying. Given Greece’s recent significant improvement (not to mention the traumatic memories of 2004) and Portugal’s recent struggles to see off Scotland, Roberto Martínez’s men did well to avoid those opponents.

As such, the Seleção will start their campaign in September with two away matches, against Armenia in Yerevan and versus Hungary three days later in Budapest. On month later it will be a double-header at home against the Republic of Ireland and Hungary. The last group matches will in November, when the Seleção will face a trip to Dublin to play the Republic of Ireland before finalising the campaign with a home match against Armenia.

Portugal’s full World Cup qualifying Group F schedule

Armenia v Portugal (6 September 2025, Yerevan)

Hungary v Portugal (9 September 2025, Budapest)

Portugal v Republic of Ireland (11 October 2025, venue tbc)

Portugal v Hungary (14 October 2025, venue tbc)

Republic of Ireland v Portugal (13 November 2025, Dublin)

Portugal v Armenia (16 November 2025, venue tbc)

In theory, Hungary will be Portugal’s main rivals for top spot. The Magyars are currently ranked the 30th strongest team in the world by FIFA, while Ireland’s ranking is 60th and Armenia’s 100th. Portugal are sixth in the FIFA rankings.

World Cup 2026 has been enlarged to include 48 nations and will be played from 11 June to 19 July in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.