Portugal vs Nigeria: Martinez speaks on lineup against Super Eagles

Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez has made it clear that the friendly against Nigeria on Wednesday will not affect the starting lineup for the team’s World Cup opener against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

All 26 players are now in camp, giving the coach a full squad to choose from for the Super Eagles match. The lineup includes the four UEFA Champions League‑winning players from Paris Saint‑Germain: Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves, and Gonçalo Ramos, who joined the national team before the Chile friendly.

Matheus Nunes is expected to return to full training on Sunday after missing the Chile game because of physical issues, and João Félix is also in contention for the Nigeria match.

After Portugal’s 2‑1 win over Chile, Martínez said the main priority is preparing the entire squad for the World Cup, rather than focusing solely on the opening match against the Leopards.

When asked whether the starting XI for the Nigeria game would be chosen with the DR Congo match in mind, he told O Jogo: “No, no. We now have the four PSG players arriving, along with Matheus Nunes, and we expect to have all 26 or 27 players ready for the second game. We continue with individual preparation.”

“Francisco Trincão did not play because the red‑card situation varies based on how we concluded the game, but the goal is to prepare all players to be ready for the World Cup and not solely for the first match,” Martínez added.

Portugal will face the Democratic Republic of Congo at the NRG Stadium in Houston on Wednesday, June 17.