Portugal Women Eye Brazil 2027 as Crucial Qualifiers Loom in Latvia and Slovakia

The Portugal women's national football team is positioning itself for a critical double-header away from home this week, with goalkeeper Inês Pereira expressing quiet confidence about both her club future and the national squad's bid to reach the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. The 26-year-old shot-stopper, on loan at Spain's Deportivo La Coruña from England's Everton, acknowledged uncertainty about where she'll play next season but insisted her focus remains squarely on delivering two more qualifying wins.

Why This Matters

• Qualification stakes: Portugal leads Group B3 with 6 points after two matches, but must finish in the top three to enter playoff contention for Brazil 2027.

• Away challenge: The squad travels to face Latvia on April 15 and Slovakia on April 19—both opponents already studied Portugal's tactics and will adapt defensively.

• League status fallout: After dropping to League B following a penalty shootout loss to Serbia in late 2024, Portugal needs this World Cup qualification to rebuild credibility on the European stage.

Pereira's Career Crossroads

Speaking to reporters at the Cidade do Futebol training complex in Oeiras, Pereira—who has earned 47 senior caps since her 2018 debut—described her club situation as "very open." Currently in her second consecutive season on loan with Deportivo, she said she remains "happy" in Galicia but would "go to England" if required by her parent club.

The goalkeeper's pragmatic tone reflects a broader reality for Portuguese women's footballers: most ply their trade abroad, often navigating loan spells and contract negotiations across multiple leagues. Pereira's Everton deal status remains unconfirmed, but her consistent national-team performances have kept her firmly in the starting lineup under head coach Francisco Neto, whose contract runs through 2027.

Second-Round Tactics and Opponent Familiarity

Portugal opened its World Cup 2027 qualifying campaign with back-to-back home victories—2-0 over Finland and 4-0 against Slovakia—but Pereira warned that the return fixtures will demand a different approach. "I think the second round of games will end up being more complicated because we already know the teams better, and they know us better," she said. "They end up closing spaces and already know more or less our way of playing."

That familiarity factor is especially relevant for the upcoming road trips. Latvia, currently bottom of the group with zero points, will host Portugal at a neutral venue in Riga on Tuesday, while Slovakia—tied on 3 points with Finland—welcomes the Portuguese to Prešov four days later. Both opponents have now watched film of Portugal's possession-heavy, organized build-up and will likely deploy deeper defensive blocks.

Pereira nonetheless projected confidence: "Even playing away from Portugal, we have the capacity and quality to win these two games."

World Cup as Validation for Portuguese Women's Football

Asked whether reaching the 2027 World Cup finals would mark another milestone for Portugal's women's program, Pereira offered a measured response: "I think so, but we have to think game by game. It does us no good to think about the World Cup if we don't do our work now." She confirmed that qualifying is an "internal objective" shared by both players and coaching staff, adding that strategic planning for the tournament itself will come only after securing a playoff berth.

The caution is understandable. Portugal competed in League A of the inaugural UEFA Women's Nations League but finished last in Group A2—behind France, Norway, and Austria—without a single win. A subsequent relegation playoff against Serbia ended in heartbreak: after a 3-3 aggregate draw, Portugal lost on penalties and dropped to League B for the 2025 edition.

That demotion carries tangible consequences. Teams in League B face lower-ranked opposition, which can affect seeding for major tournament draws, and Portugal now must navigate a playoff route rather than earning an automatic World Cup berth. Still, the federation backed head coach Francisco Neto, extending his contract through 2027 in February 2024, signaling continuity and long-term planning.

Squad Adjustments and Injury Concerns

Portugal's final training session on home soil Saturday unfolded without midfielder Andreia Jacinto, who was replaced in the squad by Raquel Ferreira due to injury. National teams director Lourenço Coelho attended the session, underscoring institutional support ahead of the decisive away stretch.

The squad flew out Sunday, carrying the weight of expectation but also the knowledge that Group B3 remains wide open. Finland and Slovakia sit level on 3 points, just behind Portugal's 6, meaning any slip-up could tighten the race for the top-three playoff places. Only the group winners earn automatic promotion back to League A; the rest must battle through a congested playoff bracket for one of UEFA's 11 direct World Cup slots or a single intercontinental playoff berth.

What This Means for Residents

For football fans in Portugal, these April qualifiers represent more than two away fixtures—they test whether the women's program can recover from last year's relegation and re-establish itself among Europe's elite. A pair of victories would put Portugal in control of Group B3 and move the team within striking distance of both League A promotion and World Cup qualification.

Success would also validate the federation's investment in women's football infrastructure and youth development, areas that have lagged behind men's programs but are now receiving increased funding and media attention. Conversely, stumbling against Latvia or Slovakia could open the door for Finland or Slovakia to leapfrog Portugal in the standings, complicating the path to Brazil and potentially forcing a reckoning about coaching strategy and player depth.

The broader context matters, too: Portugal's men reached the knockout stage of multiple recent tournaments, raising public expectations for the women's side to break through on the global stage. A World Cup appearance in 2027—staged in Brazil from June 24 to July 25—would be only the second in program history and a powerful signal that Portuguese women's football has arrived as a consistent contender.

Balancing Renewal and Experience

Head coach Neto has pursued what he calls "balanced generational renewal," weaving younger players into a core of veterans who provide leadership even when not logging full 90-minute shifts. Captain Dolores Silva recently emphasized the squad's unity and experience, qualities that will be tested in hostile away environments this week.

Tactically, Portugal seeks to impose possession-based control, pushing opponents deep and avoiding chaotic transitions that favor physically stronger sides. That approach succeeded at home against Finland and Slovakia but will be harder to execute on artificial turf or in smaller stadiums where crowd noise and tight spaces compress the game.

Looking Ahead

Assuming Portugal navigates this double-header successfully, three more qualifying windows await in June 2026: matches on June 5 and June 9 will complete the group phase. The top three finishers advance to a playoff round that will decide the final European representatives at the World Cup, joining already-qualified Asian teams—Australia, China, North Korea, South Korea, the Philippines, and Japan—and host Brazil.

For Pereira, the personal and professional timelines run in parallel: her club future may clarify over the summer, just as Portugal learns whether it has done enough to reach the playoff stage. In the meantime, she and her teammates are focused on the immediate task—two away wins that would make everything else possible.