Portugal vs Republic of Ireland World Cup Qualifiers Prediction, 01:45 on October 12th: Confident of Extending Winning Streak

Pre-match analysis

After winning their second consecutive UEFA Nations League title in June, the Portuguese national team continued their impressive form by starting their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with two consecutive victories against Armenia and Hungary, scoring a total of eight goals.

In their opening match, the Selecao comfortably defeated Armenia 5-0 away from home. In the match against Hungary, Roberto Martínez's team had to wait until the 86th minute to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory, thanks to a precious goal from Joao Cancelo.

As 2025 draws to a close, Portugal is aiming for its first World Cup ever. Coach Martínez said he “believes in numbers,” especially the number 6, recalling Portugal’s third-place finish at the 1966 World Cup and their Euro 2016 victory, two historic milestones for the country’s football.

Currently, the world's fifth-ranked team not only secured a playoff spot thanks to their Nations League victory, but also leads Group F with 3 points more than the second-placed team. Another win against Ireland would extend Ronaldo and his teammates' winning streak to six matches across all competitions, consolidating their top position and bringing them closer to a direct ticket to the USA.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland continues to struggle to recapture the glory days that have faded for almost two decades. Since the 2006 World Cup, they haven't participated in the biggest football tournament on the planet. After their first two matches, Ireland only have one point, drawing 2-2 with Hungary after taking the lead, and then losing 1-2 to Armenia, a team ranked 45 places lower than them in the FIFA rankings.

Midfielder Finn Azaz admitted after the defeat: "We know we've let the fans down, and so have we ourselves."

Before their trip to Lisbon, Ireland understood that this challenge would be extremely difficult. They had never won on Portuguese soil in their 6 previous encounters (1 draw, 5 losses), and had only won 2 of their last 8 away games, including 4 matches where they failed to score.

Conversely, Portugal is brimming with confidence thanks to its quality squad and consistent form. Another victory would not only help "Selecao das Quinas" maintain their winning streak, but also send a strong message: the red-shirted team is truly ready to conquer the World Cup.

Force information

Portugal will be without Joao Neves (PSG) and Joao Cancelo (Al Hilal) due to hamstring injuries.

On the other side, the Republic of Ireland will be without Matt Doherty, Jason Knight, Bosun Lawal, Callum O'Dowda, and Sammie Szmodics due to injury. Striker Troy Parrott, who has recently recovered from injury, has been called up, but his participation remains uncertain.

Predicted lineup

Portugal (4-3-3): Costa; Dalot, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Bernardo, Vitinha, Fernandes; Conceição, Ronaldo, Neto

Republic of Ireland (3-4-2-1): Kelleher; O'Brien, O'Shea, Collins; Ogbene; Cullen, Knight, Manning; Taylor, Azaz; Ferguson

Predicted score : Portugal 2-0 Republic of Ireland