Portugal stars, Ruben Dias and Jose Sá have emphasised the importance of their upcoming friendly against Nigeria as the European side continues preparations for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
A Seleção das Quinas will take on the Super Eagles at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria next Wednesday, their second meeting in four years.
While Dias played the first half of Portugal’s 4-0 win over Nigeria in November 2002, the Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper was an unused substitute.
Portugal are using the friendly against Nigeria to fine-tune their preparations and tactical approach ahead of their World Cup opener against the Democratic Republic of Congo, who secured their place at the tournament after narrowly defeating the Super Eagles in the final of the African playoffs.
Speaking ahead of Portugal’s warm-up matches against Chile and Nigeria, goalkeeper Jose Sá stressed that both fixtures will play a vital role in helping the squad fine-tune its preparations before the tournament begins.
“These will be two very important games against Chile and Nigeria to prepare for the World Cup. We are focused on giving our best and preparing well for the first game in the competition,” Sá told A Bola.
Manchester City centre-back Dias, who has been named in Portugal’s World Cup squad for a third time, echoed Sá’s sentiments and highlighted the unpredictable nature of the tournament.
When asked whether the friendlies against Chile and Nigeria would be important given the contrasting styles of Portugal’s World Cup opponents, Dias left no doubt about their significance.
“Yes, they will be extremely important. This is my third World Cup and I have already experienced firsthand, in various and different circumstances, the difficulty of playing against anyone in the World Cup,” Dias said to A Bola.
Portugal will also do battle with Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K of the 2026 World Cup.