Carlos Forbs handed debut Portugal call-up for World Cup qualifiers against Ireland and Armenia | OneFootball

Club Brugge winger Carlos Forbs has been rewarded for a spectacular start to the season with his first call-up to the senior Portugal squad, for the World Cup qualifying matches against Ireland and Armenia.

Forbs has been a regular in the U21 set up, but his excellent form in 2025/26, culminating in a man-of-the-match display against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday night, has earned the 21-year-old a step up to the full Seleção team.

João Cancelo and João Neves are recalled after missing the October matches through injury, but arguably Portugal’s most in-form player, Nuno Mendes, is out after picking up a sprained knee while playing for PSG in the recent Champions League match against Bayern Munich.

Chelsea winger Pedro Neto is also a doubt despite being selected. Portugal coach Roberto Martínez said Neto would not join the squad if he is not selected for Chelsea’s match this weekend against Wolves.

Barcelona heroics decisive in Forbs call-up

“Carlos Forbs is a player we have been monitoring for a long time,” said Martínez when asked about the debutant.

“He’s a player who since the first time I saw him playing for the under-17s, I thought he had something different. He has a similar profile to Pedro Neto or Francisco Conceição and he can play on either flank. Scoring two goals against Barcelona weighed heavily in the decision to call him up and shows the quality he has.”

Portugal need one point from their final two Group F matches to clinch top spot and automatic qualification for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.

The Seleção play the Republic of Ireland on the night of Thursday 13 November in Dublin, and conclude their campaign with a home fixture against Armenia at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto on Sunday 16 November, in a game with an unusual 2.00 pm kick-off time.

Portugal squad for Ireland and Armenia World Cup qualifiers

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting)