The Special One José de Sousa loves performing on the big stage—but will he truly be able to reach the same level he showed during 2020–2021?

Players: José de Sousa / Bruno Nascimento
Ranking: 19

Naturally, Portugal’s team features José de Sousa—The Special One—who has an incredibly high ceiling, yet is also known for the occasional blunder, like busting on 180. This year he’s joined by newcomer Bruno Nascimento. Last year, de Sousa partnered with David Gomes in what turned out to be a real thriller of a group alongside the USA and Italy. Back then, the USA was the seeded team in the group, but it came down to a decisive match between Portugal and Italy. That time, Italy came out on top and Portugal was eliminated in the group stage.

This year, Portugal will need to find a higher level of play. Despite beating the USA 4–2 last year, their match average was barely over 70—which simply won’t be good enough in this year’s tournament.