Portugal’s Best Generation Yet Chasing World Cup History – Abel Xavier

Every FIFA World Cup creates new heroes, but it also reunites football fans with the legends who helped shape the game.

Throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, SuperSport has assembled one of the strongest football broadcasting teams on the continent, bringing together iconic names from across the globe to provide unrivalled analysis, insight and storytelling across all 104 matches, alongside world-class magazine shows, studio discussions and exclusive interviews.

Among those voices is former Portugal, Liverpool, and Everton defender Abel Xavier—one of football’s most recognisable personalities and a man whose own story stretches far beyond Europe.

Born in Mozambique before embarking on a career that would take him to some of the biggest clubs in world football, Xavier has returned to Africa as part of the SuperSport family, offering viewers a unique perspective on a tournament that continues to redefine football’s global landscape.

Liverpool’s Abel Xavier during their FA Premiership match against Aston Villa at Villa Park. Getty Images.

And with Portugal safely through to the Round of 32, where they face Croatia in a mouthwatering knockout encounter live on SuperSport on Friday morning (01:00 CAT), Xavier believes his homeland has every reason to dream.

“I believe Portugal have a great chance,” Xavier says.

“If we are talking about both quantity and quality, Portugal currently has the best generation of players. I believe that if the coach sets up the team properly, considering the number of quality players available, Portugal can achieve the results needed to take them at least to the semi-finals.”

It is a statement built not on emotion, but experience.

Xavier represented Portugal during one of the country’s transformational eras, helping lay the foundations for the golden generation that followed.

Today, he sees a squad blessed with depth across every position, a balance of established stars and emerging talent, and a genuine opportunity to compete with the world’s elite.

Yet one storyline towers above them all.

At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo is contesting what is widely expected to be his final FIFA World Cup. Having conquered almost every major honour in club football and lifted the UEFA European Championship with Portugal, only one prize remains elusive.

Liverpool’s Abel Xavier (Photo by Neal Simpson/EMPICS via Getty Images)

For Xavier, there could be no more fitting ending.

“Unfortunately, over the last few decades, two of the greatest players ever have emerged: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It has often felt like a personal competition between them as well.

“I honestly believe Cristiano wants to finish his career with a major trophy. I think the greatest trophy and the greatest privilege a player can have is winning something with their country. In my opinion, that is the ultimate prize.”

Standing in Portugal’s way on Friday is a Croatia side renowned for its resilience, tactical discipline and ability to thrive in knockout football.

But Xavier warns against focusing only on the traditional heavyweights.

Abel Xavier of LA Galaxy on the ball during the Usa Major League Soccer match between LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew at Home Depot Centre In Carson on June 23, 2007 in California, United States. (Photo by Graham Whitby Boot/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

For him, this expanded FIFA World Cup has created an entirely new competitive landscape.

“I think this World Cup is unusual because there are more teams and more unpredictable situations can happen. Some teams may not appear capable of competing at the highest level, but they can still surprise people.

“If we talk about the physical strength of the African teams, for example, and the pragmatism and tactical discipline of some of the Asian teams, they can also surprise people. Take South Korea, for example. For many people, their performance in the first game was a surprise. For me, it was not a surprise because of the reasons I’ve just mentioned.

“The favourites, in my view, are those who have won the tournament before. We are talking about France, Brazil, Argentina and Spain. Then there is another group of teams that can surprise people, including Portugal and England. After that, other teams can still disrupt the competition.”

Abel Xavier of Liverpool during the Legends of the North match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on May 21, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

That respect for African football is hardly surprising.

Long before becoming a UEFA Champions League finalist, Premier League defender and Portugal international, Xavier’s football journey began in Mozambique. Returning to the continent with SuperSport has rekindled something deeply personal.

“It’s been awesome. Thank you so much for the way you’ve welcomed me and helped me settle in. Being here has allowed me to reconnect with my roots because Africa is in my heart.

“It is wonderful to be here, and I hope Bafana Bafana can bounce back. They didn’t start properly, but I hope the coach will make the right adjustments and guide the team well because they still have an opportunity to recover. It’s not only about qualifying directly; there may still be another route available. I would really, really like to see the African teams do well.”

His belief in African football extends beyond sentiment.

Watching more African players starring for Europe’s biggest clubs has only strengthened his conviction that the continent’s greatest World Cup moment is not a question of if—but when.

“The way I see it, there is an important reflection to be made regarding African teams. If African players are individually capable of competing at the highest level and playing for the best clubs in Europe, why are we not consistently seeing stronger national teams? That is something we need to reflect on.

“Secondly, among the African teams, only a few have local coaches. That is another point we need to think about. For example, Ghana appointed Carlos Queiroz after previously having a local coach.

Arsenal’s Dennis Bergkamp is challenged by Liverpool’s Abel Xavier (Photo by John Walton/EMPICS via Getty Images)

“When you talk about physicality, tactical awareness and understanding of the game, African teams have improved significantly. If you’re talking about skill, we have everything needed to compete with the very best. For that reason, I believe the moment will come when an African team achieves something truly special.

“If you ask which teams are currently closest, based on the work they have done and the models they have implemented, I would say Senegal and Morocco are slightly ahead of the other African teams at this moment.”

Those perspectives are exactly what make the FIFA World Cup on SuperSport unlike any other football broadcast.

With every one of the tournament’s 104 matches live, comprehensive pre- and post-match coverage, exclusive magazine programming, and a world-class line-up of international football legends including Abel Xavier, viewers are not simply watching football—they are experiencing the stories, personalities and emotions that define the world’s greatest sporting event.

The next chapter arrives on Friday morning when Portugal face Croatia in a high-stakes Round of 32 showdown, with Cristiano Ronaldo chasing the one trophy that has always remained just beyond his grasp and Portugal pursuing the dream of becoming world champions.

It’s a story no football fan will want to miss.

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