Super Eagles to face Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Poland in June friendlies

by Devesh Jaganath

image Super Eagles to face Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Poland in June friendlies
While Nigeria will not be headed to the 2026 FIFA World Cup later this year, the Super Eagles have a busy summer schedule, which they will use as preparation for future tournaments. Following the 2026 Unity Cup, it has now been confirmed that Nigeria will face Portual and Poland in two high-profile friendlies in June this year.

NFF confirm high-profile friendlies against European powerhouses

The Nigerian Football Federation have a busy schedule lined up for their national team, with the Super Eagles set to follow up their 2026 Unity Cup title defence in May with back-to-back friendlies against Poland and Portugal ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

The Super Eagles were unable to secure a spot in the global competition after losing to DR Congo on penalties in the CAF World Cup Playoffs. They had lodged a petition to FIFA challenging the eligibility of the Leopards players, but the case was dismissed by football’s governing body. 

Despite the setback, the NFF are pushing ahead with preparations as they look toward the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Super Eagles’ first match will be against Poland on June 4 at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw, which we will cover in our football predictions. 

The venue for Nigeria’s fixture against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side has yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be held on June 10 in Portugal, directly before Selecao das Quinas head to North America for the global tournament. 

Portugal have been drawn into Group K for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia. Their first match of the tournament is against the Leopards on June 17 at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. 

Chelle set to call up big guns for Portugal, Poland fixtures 

Eric Chelle has confirmed that Nigeria will lean on their biggest stars, including the likes of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, who were left out of the squad during the March international break, for their upcoming friendlies against Portugal and Poland in June. 

The Super Eagles’ head coach explained that while the Unity Cup will serve as an opportunity to assess his fringe players and emerging local talent, matches against elite European opposition demand a more established core due to its impact on global rankings. 

As a result, Chelle intends to field a full-strength side in those fixtures, using the experience and quality of his key players to test the team against top-tier competition and hopefully build momentum ahead of future competitive matches.