The curse remains! Portugal once again falls short of its greatest World Cup achievement
Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The Portugal national team’s World Cup 2026 campaign came to an end after a defeat to Spain, once again preventing them from matching their best-ever result at the tournament.
Details: Portugal lost 0-1 to Spain in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup and was eliminated from the competition.
Portugal’s best-ever World Cup finish remains third place in 1966, when they defeated the USSR in the bronze medal match.
Since then, the team has qualified for the World Cup eight more times but has never surpassed that achievement. In 1986, 2002, and 2014, Portugal failed to advance from the group stage, while in 2010, 2018, and 2026, their journey ended in the Round of 16.
There have been two more notable campaigns: a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and a quarterfinal appearance at the 2022 World Cup. Yet, the new tournament has once again ended for Portugal before the decisive stages.
Reminder: The end of a dream! Ronaldo left the World Cup in tears and never lifted the ultimate trophy. The Portuguese legend played in six World Cups but never won the tournament.
