Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal squad in World Cup qualification bid

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·7 de noviembre de 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal squad in World Cup qualification bid

The Portugal coach, Roberto Martínez, announced this Friday the list of players called up for the last two games of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, once again captained by the legend Cristiano Ronaldo and with the absence of PSG's left-back, Nuno Mendes.

“He is a special player… There is no one who can replace Nuno Mendes. He is probably the best in the world at the moment,” lamented the Spanish coach at a press conference.

The left-back, who suffers from a sprain in his left knee, “will remain in treatment for the coming weeks,” informed the Parisian club on Wednesday.

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Newcomers and returns

Martínez, who presented a list of 26 players, includes a new forward, Carlos Forbs, called up for the first time, and the return of midfielder João Neves, recovered from his injuries.

Once again leading the team is Cristiano Ronaldo, 40 years old. “He continues to be an example for the group with his more than 200 call-ups,” highlighted Martínez.

Opponents and qualification scenario

Portugal will face Ireland on November 13 and will host Armenia on November 16, at the Estádio do Dragão, in Porto.

A victory in Dublin would secure direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup for the National Team.

Portugal's Call-up

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton/ENG), Rui Silva (Sporting Portugal).

Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Nélson Semedo (Fenerbahçe/TUR), João Cancelo (Al Hilal/KSA), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City/ENG), Rúben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Portugal), António Silva (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Villarreal/ESP).

Midfielders: João Palhinha (Tottenham/ENG), Rúben Neves (Al Hilal/KSA), João Neves (PSG/FRA), Vitinha (PSG/FRA), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG).

Forwards: Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting Portugal), João Félix (Al Nassr/KSA), Francisco Trincão (Sporting Portugal), Francisco Conceição (Juventus/ITA), Rafael Leão (AC Milan/ITA), Pedro Neto (Chelsea/ENG), Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge/BEL), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG/FRA), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr/KSA).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.