Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Mon 30 March 2026 10:44, UK

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Matheus Nunes continued his fine form away from Manchester City on Sunday as Portugal drew with Mexico.

The Nations League holders were held to a goalless draw in their penultimate friendly before this summer’s World Cup, with one of the host nations proving a tough nut to crack.

Nunes has been superb for Man City of late, and put in a fantastic performance as his team won the Carabao Cup before the break.

The 27-year-old put in a perfect ball for Nico O’Reilly’s second goal, following on from an overlapping run that a natural full-back would have been proud of.

Nunes’ Man City form has come on leaps and bounds this season, after he had initially struggled to cope with Pep Guardiola’s demands of him on the right of the defence.

‘Promising’ Matheus Nunes impresses vs Mexico

Nunes has been impressive for Man City this season, finding a new level at right-back, despite the struggles often experienced by Pep Guardiola’s team.

The defender continued to excel on the international stage on Sunday, with Roberto Martinez opting to deploy him on the right as well.

The 27-year-old was safe in his passing and solid in his defensive duties, winning nearly all of his duels.

Nunes had originally broken into the Portugal senior team as a midfielder, making his debut during his time at Sporting CP before continuing to feature as he impressed for Wolves.

He initially continued in the squad after his move to Man City, but then spent months out of it, missing the entirety of the Nations League campaign.

Nunes finally returned in October, and now appears to be a prominent part of the squad once more, although his place at the World Cup is not yet guaranteed.

Sunday’s performance will help, however, with outlet Portugoal rating the Man City man with a 7/10.

Reporter Tom Kundert wrote: “Pep Guardiola has converted Nunes from a midfielder to a right-back and the Manchester City man put in a promising 45 minutes in that position for Portugal.

“Physically imposing, a threat going forward, popping up in dangerous positions deep in Mexico’s half on two occasions, and showed excellent recovery speed.”

Who is Nunes’ World Cup competition?

Joao Cancelo is expected to be Portugal’s starting right-back in North America this summer.

The former Man City defender returned to Barcelona on loan in January and has been hugely impressive for the La Liga leaders.

Diogo Dalot is also expected to be in the mix, although the Manchester United right-back has endured a dismal season.

The chances are that Nunes will go to the World Cup with both players, with the 27-year-old’s versatility particularly useful to have in the squad.