Portugal stands at the precipice of another World Cup appearance. The air around the national squad is electric with anticipation. Their next challenge? A pivotal Group F qualifier against Hungary, a game that could seal their fate for the 2026 tournament.
The man chosen to oversee this crucial encounter is Serbian referee Srdjan Jovanovic. The UEFA announced his appointment for Tuesday’s match. At 39 years old, Jovanovic isn’t a new face for the Portuguese team. In fact, he brings a streak of good fortune with him. This will be his fourth time officiating a senior Portugal international game, and impressively, Portugal has won every single one of those previous matches.
Jovanovic will lead an all-Serbian officiating crew. Uros Stojkovic and Milan Mihajlovic will work the lines. Novak Simovic takes on the role of the fourth official. Watching over the action from the VAR booth will be Momcilo Markovic, with Jelena Cvetkovic assisting as the AVAR. This experienced team steps onto the field to manage a game with significant stakes.
Fans might recall Jovanovic’s earlier assignments. He was in charge when Portugal triumphed 5-1 over the Faroe Islands during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. More recently, he oversaw Nations League victories: a 3-0 win against Sweden in the 2020/21 campaign and a dominant 4-0 performance against the Czech Republic in 2022/23. His presence has certainly coincided with strong Portuguese results.
The stage is set for Tuesday evening. The match kicks off at 7:45 PM at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Following their hard-fought 1-0 victory against Ireland on Saturday, Portugal now knows exactly what they need. A win against Hungary combined with Armenia either drawing or losing their match in Ireland would secure Portugal’s ninth World Cup berth. This would mark their seventh consecutive qualification for the finals.
Portugal has enjoyed a stellar start to their qualification campaign. They began with a resounding 5-0 win over Armenia in Yerevan. This was followed by a tough but successful 3-2 battle against Hungary in Budapest. Their most recent triumph came against Ireland. These results have propelled them to the top of Group F.
Currently, Portugal leads the group with nine points. Hungary sits in second place with four points, trailing by five. Armenia holds three points, while Ireland has accumulated just one. The stakes are clear: the group winner earns an automatic spot in the expanded 48-team tournament, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The team finishing second will face the challenge of a playoff round.