Top News

PEKANBARU – PSPS Pekanbaru attacking midfielder Ilham Fathoni has predicted that Portugal will advance to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

He believes the grand finale will feature two powerhouse teams from Europe.

The player, who helped PSPS Pekanbaru secure their place in Liga 2 for the 2025/2026 season, mentioned two European nations with outstanding quality — Spain and Portugal.

“However, for the championship title, my prediction is Portugal,” he said on Monday (June 1, 2026).

Ilham Fathoni’s choice of Portugal as the predicted champion is not without reason. According to him, Portugal possess a complete and well-balanced squad.

The midfielder pointed out that Portugal’s strong central play is one of the key factors behind his prediction.

“They (Portugal) have two of the best midfielders in the world — Vitinha, who orchestrates the attack, and Bruno Fernandes, who plays as an attacking midfielder,” Ilham explained.

Ilham Fathoni’s support for Portugal is also linked to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo in the team.

Ronaldo is expected to bring good fortune to the national side after leading Al Nassr to the Saudi Professional League title.

Here is the full Portugal squad as released on FIFA.com

Goalkeepers

Rui Patricio
Jose Sa
Diogo Costa

Defenders

Diogo Dalot
Pepe
Ruben Dias
Raphael Guerreiro
Danilo
Nuno Mendes
Joao Cancelo
Antonio Silva

Midfielders

Joao Palhinha
Bruno Fernandes
William
Vitinha
Matheus Nunes
Otavio

Forwards

Cristiano Ronaldo
Andre Silva
Bernardo Silva
Joao Felix
Rafael Leao
Ricardo Horta
Goncalo Ramos

Coach

Fernando Manuel Fernandes da Costa Santos

When asked about young players who might shine in the tournament, Ilham Fathoni mentioned Yamine Lamal as the one to watch.

The Barcelona youngster is expected to put in impressive performances throughout the 2026 World Cup.

“For the emerging young player at the 2026 World Cup, my pick is Yamine Lamal,” Ilham concluded.

(Budi Rahmat)