Ronaldo mocked after Portugal beat Nigeria 2–1

Ronaldo trolled by Ryanair after Nigeria friendly

Cristiano Ronaldo had a night to forget in Portugal's final World Cup warm-up match. As Portugal beat Nigeria 2–1 on Wednesday, Ronaldo missed several chances, and Ryanair couldn't resist. The airline posted: "He needs to pass more often – Ryanair" (2). The dig came after a frustrating performance in front of goal, and social media ran with it. Not the send-off you want before a World Cup.

Portugal edge Nigeria 2–1 in final tune-up

Your team got the win but made it harder than it needed to be. Joao Neves and Vitinha started in midfield as Portugal beat Nigeria 2–1 in their last friendly before the tournament (5). The PSG duo controlled the middle, but the real talking point was the chances that went begging at the other end. Still, a win is a win – and now it's all eyes on the opener.

Bernardo Silva opens up on family life and next club

Bernardo Silva has spoken candidly about the difficulty of being away from his young children during the World Cup camp. "We have to stay in the hotel as a team, with a schedule for seeing the family. It's very hard to be away, especially from the kids," he said. He added the couple want a big family: "We won't stop at the second. We'll definitely have a third. Maybe a fourth" (4). On his club future after leaving Manchester City, Silva mentioned Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético de Madrid as possibilities – with Roberto Martínez publicly backing a move to Barcelona.

Portugal stay 5th in FIFA rankings as World Cup begins

Nothing changes at the top. Portugal hold onto fifth place in the latest FIFA rankings published Thursday, behind Argentina and the usual contenders (6). The timing matters – with the World Cup about to start, it's a reminder that the world sees this squad as genuine contenders.

What's the best XI? Martínez opens the debate

A Bola has launched a fan poll asking readers to pick Portugal's starting eleven for the World Cup opener (1). With a fully fit squad and the under-21 European champions back in the fold, Martínez has more options than headaches. But decisions at the back and in midfield could shape how deep this team goes. Paulo Bento, the former Portugal coach, called this squad "in the group of candidates" to win it all – but warned things don't always go as planned.

Fan reactions

Fans on r/soccer marked a piece of history Thursday – exactly 40 years since Morocco became the first African nation to reach the World Cup knockout stages, beating Portugal 3–1 in 1986. The memory hit differently on the same day Portugal finalize their 2026 preparations – a reminder of how far the national team has come since those days.