Portugal vs Ireland Prediction: A resounding victory at home.
The World Cup qualifying match between Portugal and Ireland will take place at 1:45 AM on October 12th. Nghe An newspapers, radio, and television will analyze the teams' form, provide football commentary, and predict the score.
Latest information on the Portugal vs Ireland squad
Portugal will be without Joao Neves (PSG) and Joao Cancelo (Al-Hilal) due to hamstring injuries. Coach Roberto Martinez has called up Nuno Tavares (Lazio) as a replacement, but Nuno Mendes is expected to start at left-back. The right-back position will be a competition between Nelson Semedo and Diogo Dalot.
In midfield, the captains of Manchester United and Manchester City – Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva – are likely to start alongside Vitinha.
Cristiano Ronaldo, at 40 years old, remains the centerpiece of the Selecão's attack. He has scored three goals in two World Cup 2026 qualifying matches and has previously found the net four times against Ireland in five encounters.
On the Republic of Ireland side, the injury list is quite long, with Matt Doherty, Jason Knight, Bosun Lawal, Callum O'Dowda, and Sammie Szmodics all absent. The latter two were forced to withdraw just last week.
Doherty's absence paves the way for the return of captain Seamus Coleman after more than a year away, and he will compete for the right-back spot with Chiedozie Ogbene.
Centre-back John Egan (Hull City) has been recalled for the first time since September 2023, but he is likely to be a reserve behind Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea and Jake O'Brien.
Forward Troy Parrott also returns from injury, having been called up after playing for AZ Alkmaar last weekend. He will undergo further examination by the medical team to determine his availability for the match against Portugal.
Latest predicted lineups for Portugal vs Ireland
Portugal:
Costa; Dalot, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Bernardo, Vitinha, Fernandes; Conceicao, Ronaldo, Neto
Republic of Ireland:
Kelleher; O'Brien, O'Shea, Collins; Ogbene; Cullen, Knight, Manning; Taylor, Azaz; Ferguson
Latest football match prediction: Portugal vs Ireland
After winning their second UEFA Nations League title in history in June, the Portuguese national team continued their impressive form by starting their World Cup qualifying campaign with two consecutive victories against Armenia and Hungary, scoring a total of eight goals.
"Seleção das Quinas" opened with a 5-0 victory away in Armenia, before Joao Cancelo scored in the 86th minute to help them win 3-2 against Hungary in a thrilling away game.
Coach Roberto Martinez said his team “is aiming for the dream” of winning the World Cup for the first time in history, while emphasizing that he “believes in numbers,” especially the number 6 — reminiscent of their third-place finish at the 1966 World Cup and their Euro 2016 victory.
Ranked 5th in the FIFA world, Portugal has already secured a place in the World Cup play-offs thanks to their Nations League title, but they still hold a significant advantage in the race for the top spot in Group F, currently leading the team in second place by three points.
Martinez's side are on track for their sixth consecutive victory in all competitions. With consistent form and a superior head-to-head record — three wins and one draw in their last four encounters with the Republic of Ireland — they have reason to be confident ahead of this weekend's match.
On the other side, the Republic of Ireland haven't returned to the World Cup since 2006 and are struggling in their quest for the 2026 World Cup after only securing one point in their first two matches in Group F.
"The Boys in Green" managed to draw 2-2 against Hungary despite being two goals down in their opening match, but then lost 1-2 away to Armenia — a team ranked 45 places below them in the FIFA rankings.
Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson and his players acknowledged their disappointment, with midfielder Finn Azaz sharing that the whole team “understands that we have let the fans down and ourselves as well.”
Ireland will have a chance to get revenge on Armenia in the second leg next Tuesday, but first they face a tough trip to Lisbon — where they have never beaten Portugal in their six previous away matches (1 draw, 5 losses).
Ireland's away form is also not very good: they have won only two of their last eight international matches (one draw, five losses) and failed to score in four of them.
Latest Portugal vs Ireland score prediction
Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Portugal vs Irelandas follows:
- Sportsmole:Portugal 3-1 Ireland
- WhoScore:Portugal 4-1 Ireland
- We predict:Portugal 3-0 Ireland
When and where can I watch Portugal vs Ireland live?
To watch the Portugal vs Ireland match live in the World Cup qualifiers at 1:45 AM on October 12th, viewers can tune in to the following channels:K+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. We hope you enjoy watching football.
