Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal defeat Nigeria 2–1 in final friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup

In Portugal’s final friendly ahead of the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo and his team defeated Nigeria 2–1 in an exciting match!

You followed the live minute-by-minute coverage here on Bolavip, and we look forward to having you join us for another live coverage soon. See you next time!

Full time in Leiria. Portugal defeated Nigeria 2–1 in their final appearance before the World Cup.

Zaidu Sanusi was booked for the visitors.

Four additional minutes are being played.

Final substitution for Nigeria: Alex Iwobi came off, and Philip Otele came on.

The final five minutes of regular time are now being played.

Nuno Mendes came off for Matheus Nunes.

Akor Adams and Tochukwu Nnadi came off, with Paul Onuachu and Emmanuel Fernández coming on.

The hosts hold a temporary lead, and it is deserved based on their performance in the second half.

Francisco Conceição, with a precise left-footed strike, puts Portugal back in front.

The hosts are trying to regain the lead, something that at this stage already feels deserved.

Second cooling break of the game!!

Cristiano Ronaldo came off, and Gonçalo Ramos came on.

Abdullahi Bewene, Terem Moffi, Paul Onuachu, Frank Onyeka, and Zaidu Sanusi have come on, replacing Semi Ajayi, Christian Akpan, Wilfred Ndidi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Moses Simon.

The Green Eagles are a completely different team from the first half, no longer attacking as much.

The substitutions have given Portugal a new boost, as they look to extend the lead.

João Félix hit the crossbar.

Several changes for Portugal: Francisco Conceição, João Félix, Tomás Araújo, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes, Rúben Neves, and Samú Costa have come on, while Diogo Dalot, Gonçalo Inácio, Rúben Dias, Nélson Semedo, Vitinha, João Neves, Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, and Francisco Trincão have been substituted.

The second 45 minutes of the friendly are underway, with CR7 on the pitch.

Pedro Neto opened the scoring for Portugal, while Akor Adams equalized with a lethal counterattack.

A back-and-forth match with plenty of goal-scoring chances, far from resembling a friendly.

Stay tuned to the live minute-by-minute coverage here on Bolavip!

Half-time. Portugal and Nigeria are level at 1–1.

Three more minutes

In a match with plenty of attacking intent from Portugal, only a handful of plays have involved Ronaldo.

Final five minutes of an entertaining match.

On the counterattack, Adams levels the score.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a header that would have been the second goal.

Most of Portugal’s attacks are coming down the right flank.

After a free kick, Bruno Fernandes stung the Nigerian goalkeeper’s hands, who reacted well to make the save.

The hosts now take control of the ball after going ahead on the scoreboard.

The match resumes in Leiria. Portugal edge past Nigeria in a tight match by a narrow margin.

The first cooling break of the match is underway.

Pedro Neto, assisted by Trincão, puts Portugal ahead.

Despite being a friendly, the African side is not holding back in the challenges.

Iwobi is the key for the Green Eagles, who are creating more chances than their opponents, though without much real danger.

After the first 15 minutes, Portugal and Nigeria are playing an interesting match.

Nigeria maintains control and prevents Portugal from moving forward.

Something unusual from him—Cristiano Ronaldo wasted a clear one-on-one chance. On the counterattack, Adams fired his shot wide.

At times, the ball bounces unevenly. Ibowi had the first chance with a weak shot that was saved by the goalkeeper.

Semedo takes control of the right flank and looks to combine with his teammates. Nigeria also presses high.

With Cristiano Ronaldo as their leader, the hosts aim to take center stage.

Portugal vs. Nigeria is underway. Follow the live minute-by-minute coverage with us here at Bolavip!

With great respect, those present in the stadium listened to each of the national anthems before kickoff.

Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are not playing for Nigeria today, as they have been rested.

The teams continue their pre-match warm-up movements as they prepare for kickoff in Leiria.

Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot, Gonçalo Inácio, Rúben Dias, Nelson Semedo; João Neves, Vitinha; Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto, Francisco Trincao, Cristiano Ronaldo.

These are Portugal’s last five matches:

• vs Chile, 2-1 (W) International friendly
• vs USA, 2-0 (W) International friendly
• vs Mexico, 0-0 (D) International friendly
• vs Ireland, 0-2 (L) European qualifiers
• vs Armenia, 9-1 (W) European qualifiers

At kickoff time, a temperature of around 68°F is expected, with completely clear skies.

Portugal’s presentation in front of their home fans is about to begin, and you can follow the live minute-by-minute coverage here on Bolavip!

Very gradually, the Estádio Municipal de Leiria is filling with atmosphere, while the home crowd gathers to see off their players ahead of the World Cup.

Coach Éric Chelle has decided to field this starting XI against Portugal.

Maduka Okoye; Christian Akpan, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi; Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru; Tochukwu Nnadi, Akor Adams, Moses Simon.

Cristiano Ronaldo will play in his sixth World Cup, joining Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa as the only players to achieve this milestone.

While fighting for their last chance to reach the World Cup through the African playoffs, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo and missed out on their final opportunity to qualify.

Portugal will wear their traditional home kit. Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the captain’s armband.

Many, including Germany’s Toni Kroos, consider Ronaldo’s Portugal among the favorites for the 2026 World Cup due to the amount of talent in their squad.

Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, and also Germany are teams expected to push deep into the tournament.

Once this match is completed, Portugal turn their full attention to the upcoming World Cup. The team is part of Group K alongside Colombia, DR Congo, and Uzbekistan.

The only previous meeting between the two teams dates back to November 17, 2022. In an international friendly, Portugal defeated Nigeria by a 4–0 scoreline.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 3:45 PM (ET).

While awaiting official confirmation of the starting lineup, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to play against Nigeria in his farewell appearance before his home crowd ahead of the World Cup.

The referee appointed to officiate Portugal vs. Nigeria is Spanish official Mateo Busquets Ferrer. His assistant referees are Iñigo Prieto and Guadalupe Porras Ayuso, while Gustavo Correia serves as the fourth official.

The VAR is overseen by Valentín Gómez, with Raúl Martín González Francés serving as the AVAR.

The match will be played at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, also known as Estádio Municipal de Leiria, which has a capacity of nearly 24,000 spectators.

In the United States, the match can be watched on FOX Soccer Plus. For streaming, it will be available via Fubo and ViX.

Welcome to a new live blog here at Bolavip! On this occasion, Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo host Nigeria at home in their final friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

You can follow the live minute-by-minute coverage so you don’t miss a single detail of everything that happens in the match.