The Portuguese team, ranked 22nd in the FIFA world rankings, will have to finish in one of the top two places in the group to advance, with the first duel looking like the toughest of all, as it involves the second-placed team, Spain, which is only behind the United States.

Against the ‘roja’ team, full of players who won the 2023 World Cup in New Zealand, Portugal will try to at least erase the image left in the last two matches against the Spanish (4-2 and 7-1) in Group A3 of the Nations League.

With little chance of participating in the opening game is FC Barcelona midfielder Kika Nazareth, who has not played since March 12th, due to a rupture of the internal lateral ligament in her left ankle.

Spain, who are making their fifth appearance in the European tournament, and Portugal will face each other at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern in the first round of Group B, starting at 9pm (8pm in Lisbon), in a match that will be coached by Romanian Iuliana Demetrescu.

In the other Group B match of the 14th edition of the tournament, which began on Wednesday in Switzerland, Belgium and Italy will face each other earlier, starting at 6pm (5pm) in Sion.

On Monday, the team will face Italy in Geneva, followed by Belgium on the 11th in Sion.