Brilliant Portugal sweep past Switzerland 2-0 to make semi-finals of 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup | OneFootball

Mateus Mide (No10) is congratulated by Stevan Manuel and José Neto after giving Portugal the lead. (Photo: FPF)

Portugal’s U17 team gave another demonstration that they are a special generation this afternoon, dominating their World Cup quarter-final against Switzerland from start to finish and running out 2-0 winners.

Bino Maçães led his team to triumph in the European Championship earlier this year in Albania, and the way Portugal’s kids are playing in Qatar, he must be hopeful they can land an even bigger prize.

Goals either side of half time by Mateus Mide and José Neto booked a semi-final date for the Seleção on Monday, against Brazil.

Portugal quickly take control

Left-back José Neto sent a shot fizzing past the post in the opening exchanges, but the first twenty minutes were cagey with both teams feeling each other out.

Midway through the first half the hard-working Anísio Cabral did well to make room for himself and try and add to his tournament-leading six goals, but Noah Brogli dived to his right to make the save.

The near miss proved the trigger for Portugal, who got well on top and began piercing the Swiss defence with well-worked moves and incisive passing, with Mateus Mide orchestrating play superbly in the middle of the pitch.

Stevan Manuel fluffed a great chance to open the scoring in the 24th minute by lifting his shot over the bar when well set up by Daniel Banjaqui.

Mide had a goal-bound shot deflected for a corner and Steven Manuel again went close, his shot deflected just past the post.

The chances kept coming, Bernardo Lima heading over from a promising position at a corner.

In the 41st minute Portugal got the breakthrough they deserved, with three of their best players involved. Banjaqui hit a peach of a long pass over the defence to Anísio, the striker doing well to hold up the ball for the onrushing Mateus Mide to shoot home from close range.

Half time: Portugal 1-0 Switzerland

Portugal were good value for their lead at the break, and things soon got better for Bino’s boys.

After a brief spell of pressure from the Swiss upon the restart, Portugal broke up field, a sweeping move setting up a chance for Bernardo Lima who missed his shot with an air kick.

But a second wave saw the ball fall at the feet of José Neto, and with Switzerland’s defenders standing off him he needed no second invitation to smack a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner of the net giving Brogli no chance of making a save.

Maturity beyond their years

There was still plenty of time left, but Switzerland never truly looked capable of getting back into the match. Or perhaps it is more correct to say Portugal never gave them a chance to do so. This is a talented set of individuals for sure, but it is the way the team plays as a unit and their composure that explains the success they have enjoyed over the last few months.

Indeed, the only person in the Portugal delegation who seemed to let his nerves get the better of him at times was head coach Bino Maçães.

Apart from one occasion when the skilful Mladen Mijailovic worked his way into the box and forced a sharp save out of Romário Cunha, Switzerland never looked likely to re-enter the game.

It needed an outstanding diving save by Noah Brogli to prevent Portugal from increasing their lead, the goalkeeper athletically tipping over a long-range shot by Tomás Soares.

With no players suspended for the semi-final, when all yellow cards are reset to zero, Portugal will feel confident their journey in the tournament is far from over.

Portugal players celebrate making the semi-finals of the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup (Photo: FPF)

Portugal: Romário Cunha, Daniel Banjaqui (Gabriel Dbouk, 64’), Martim Chelmik, Mauro Furtado, José Neto, Rafael Quintas (Zeega, 83’), Mateus Mide (Tomás Soares, 64’), Bernardo Lima (Santiago Verdi, 74’), Duarte Cunha (João Aragão, 75’), Anísio Cabral, Stevan Manuel

Unused substitutes: Alexandre Tverdohlebov, David Rodrigues, Ricardo Neto, Miguel Figueiredo, Yoan Pereira