Portugal will host Hungary in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers on Tursday, looking to continue their impressive run of form.

Portugal have picked up three wins in a row in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, and they will be full of confidence heading into this game vs Hungary on Tuesday. The Seleccao have a quality team, and they will look to grind out a positive result here.

These two teams met in September, and Portugal managed to pick up a 3-2 win away from home. The home side will look to complete a double over Hungary with another victory tomorrow. Meanwhile, the visitors are coming into this game on the back of just two wins from their last six matches in all competitions.

Hungary will be desperate to bounce back strongly. Marco Rossi’s men managed to pick up a win over Armenia recently, and it will be interesting to see if they can pull off an upset here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team news and tactics

Portugal

Joao Neves missed the game against Ireland with an injury, and he could be sidelined here. Portugal are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Hungary on Tuesday, with Diogo Costa in goal.

Diogo Dalot and Nuno Mendes will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out defensively and hit Hungary on the break. Ruben Dias and Goncalo Inacio will form the central defensive partnership.

As for the midfield unit, Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and protection for the defence. Vitinha will add control and composure alongside him in the middle of the park.

Francisco Trincao and Rafael Leao will be deployed on the flanks, and they will look to create opportunities for the team during transitions. They will look to add pace, flair, and unpredictability to the attack.

Bruno Fernandes will reprise the number ten role. He will look to link the midfield with the attack and create opportunities for his teammates in the final third. Finally, Cristiano Ronaldo will lead the line for Portugal vs Hungary on Tuesday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Costa; Dalot, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha; Trincao, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo

Hungary

Marco Rossi does not have any major injury issues heading into this game. Roland Sallai and Barnabas Varga have served their suspension, and they are expected to return here. Hungary will shape up in a 4-4-2 formation vs Portugal, with Balazs Toth in goal.

Loic Nego and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and help out in the attack. Willi Orban and Attila Szalai will pair up at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Bendeguz Bolla and Dominik Szoboszlai are likely to be deployed on the flanks. They will look to protect the full-backs and help out during transitions. Callum Styles and Andras Schafer will add control and defensive cover to the side from the middle of the park. Finally, Roland Sallai and Barnabas Varga will lead the line for the visitors.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Balazs Toth; Nego, Orban, Szalai, Kerkez; Bolla, Styles, Schafer, Szoboszlai; Sallai, Varga

Key Stats

• Portugal have picked up three wins in their last three matches in all competitions.
• Hungary have failed to win four of their last six matches in all competitions.
• Hungary have conceded 11 goals in their last six matches in all competitions.
• Portugal are unbeaten in their last six meetings against Hungary.
• Portugal have scored 16 goals in their last six matches vs Hungary.

Player to Watch

Cristiano Ronaldo

Embed from Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo is our key player to watch out for, and he will look to add to his goal tally here. Hungary have been quite vulnerable defensively, and they have conceded 11 goals in their last six matches.

Ronaldo has the quality to exploit their defensive vulnerabilities, and he will look to create chances for his teammates and find the back of the net himself. The veteran Portuguese forward is likely to make all the difference in the final third for his team and help them pick up all three points here.

Prediction

Portugal 3-1 Hungary

Both teams will be looking to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Neither side is defensive in their approach, and this will be an open game with a fair few chances. Hungary are quite poor defensively, and Portugal are likely to get ample opportunities.

The hosts are likely to get on the score sheet multiple times. Both teams will find the back of the net, but Portugal have more quality and depth in the attacking unit, and they should be able to grind out all three points here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Roberto Martinez and his charges.