The defense Carolina Correia assured today that the Portuguese women’s football team will “do everything” to be in the World Cup2027, whose play-off starts to compete on Friday in Northern Ireland.
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05/10/2026
by
Lusa
A portuguese selection today started the preparation stage in Lagos for the double clash with Northern Ireland.
The first game will be out on Friday at Inver Park Stadium in Larne, and the second hand is scheduled for October 13 in Portimão.
In statements to journalists, in the hotel unit in which the Portuguese team is housed, Carolina Correia ensured that the group “is very ambitious”, has “the goals well defined” and “ambitiates a lot” to return to the World Championship.
On the other side, there will be a Northern Ireland that never debuted in final stages of World.
“It’s a strong team that has never been to a World Championship and will therefore be in the highest strength,” the central defense insisted.
The first game in Northern Ireland will be played on a synthetic turf, less than four meters wide, but this does not concern Carolina Correia.
“No excuses. We have to hold on to ourselves, whether it's lawn or synthetic. It’s playing our game and I’m sure we’ll win our games,” he said.
In this call, the selector Francisco Neto promoted three premieres: Nair Pina and Francisca Castro, both from Sporting Braga, and Carolina Tristan, from Benfica.
With eight internationalizations in the curriculum, Carolina Correia sees with good eyes the presence of “new players” in the selection work.
“It’s a recognition of the work being done in clubs. We try to receive them in the best way and hope they feel good with us ", assured.
In more personal terms, the former player of Torreense, who transferred this season to the Italians of Fiorentina, ensured she was “the same” athlete as when she played in Portugal.
“ I'm the same Carolina. A little more grown, but with the same identity and the same personality ", concluded.
Portugal will intern in Lagos until Wednesday, when it travels to Northern Ireland.
Play-off's first hand is scheduled for Friday at 7:00.
Then the team will return to the Algarve, where they will play, on October 13, the second hand of play-off, at the Portimão Municipal Stadium.
If you surpass Northern Ireland, Portugal will face the winner of the fight between Croatia and Iceland, in the final round, on November 26th and December 5th.
The World Cup2027 will be held in Brazil between June 24 and July 25.
Portugal, which was present in the last three Europeans, in 2017, 2022 and 2025, seeks to repeat the unprecedented presence in World Championships, after the debut in 2023, which ended in the group stage, but with a victory against Vietnam and a draw before the United States.