Martínez: 27-year-old Sporting star could get Portugal debut | OneFootball

Roberto Martínez has already spoken following the announcement of Portugal's squad for the next two qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. The National Coach lists some players who are close to the National Team, in a list where Ricardo Mangas stands out, a new signing for Sporting this transfer window.

"We have a group of players who are close to the National Team: Ricardo Mangas, Flávio Nazinho, Diego Fernandes, João Mário, Alberto Costa, Mateus Fernandes, Geovany Quenda… The important thing is to create a competitive group, but the National Team is open. We want to grow in the next six games. We have to start where we left off in June", the coach mentioned.

Ricardo Mangas has silenced the critics who disagreed with his signing. The winger was one of the standout names in Sporting's 6-0 victory over Arouca. The 'number 91' made his debut as a starter and scored his first brace in the Sporting jersey.

On the other hand, Rui Silva, Gonçalo Inácio, Francisco Trincão, and Pedro Gonçalves were the four Sporting players called up by Roberto Martínez to represent Portugal in the matches against Armenia and Hungary, related to the World Cup qualification.

This season, with the Sporting jersey, Ricardo Mangas – valued at 2.5 million euros – has played three matches. The player came off the bench against the geese and completed 37 minutes in the Liga Portugal Betclic and made his starting debut against Arouca, playing 90' and scoring two goals. Additionally, he was a starter in the lions' 4-1 victory over Nacional.

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