Roberto Martínez on Tuesday announced Portugal’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a 27-player list that includes four goalkeepers and a named extra that the coach called a tribute to Diogo Jota.
The roster contains 27 names — one more than the usual 26 — and lists Ricardo Velho as the fourth goalkeeper. Martínez said Velho will not sit on the bench during matches and will be used in training, describing the '+1' on the list as a deliberate tribute to Jota, who died last year in an accident.
The selection mixes experience and youth. Martínez included Tomás Araújo, Samu Costa and Gonçalo Guedes on the plane, and left out João Palhinha, Rodrigo Mora, Ricardo Horta and Pedro Gonçalves. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41 years old, is expected to make his sixth World Cup appearance and remains part of the group as Portugal heads into the tournament with a largely clean bill of health.
Portugal arrive after winning the latest edition of the UEFA Nations League, and Martínez has steered the team since January 2023 following Fernando Santos’s departure after the 2022 World Cup. The manager has identified Bruno Fernandes as Portugal’s most important star, while Vitinha and João Neves are described as the midfield core and Nuno Mendes as having developed into a top-five full-back in the world.
There are practical details behind the unusual list. Teams were required to submit a preliminary list of 35 to 55 players to FIFA by Monday, May 11; Martínez used his announcement on Tuesday, May 19 to signal intentions but must name a final roster by Saturday, May 30. The extra goalkeeper is allowed on the preliminary-to-final timeline, but its presence now raises questions about who will be cut before the deadline.
Tension in the squad note comes from the very reason Martínez kept Velho on the list: he will not be on the bench. Listing a player explicitly for training, and speaking publicly that way, blends operational choices with an emotional gesture. The coach framed the '+1' as tribute — a way to honor Diogo Jota’s memory — while also keeping a functional training option inside the 27-man package.
Fitness has been monitored closely. Leão, Diogo Costa and Ronaldo all missed March international duty because of niggling concerns, but Martínez said those three are back fit as the summer rolls around. Portugal’s largely clean bill of health is a relief for a team that has to balance veteran rôles and tournament minutes, especially with Ronaldo’s likely final World Cup appearance now on the horizon.
The immediate questions are straightforward. Will Martínez pare the roster to 26 by the May 30 deadline, and if so, which goalkeeper will be the odd one out? How Martínez resolves that choice will show whether sentiment or strict match-day utility governed his thinking. The coach has telegraphed a dual purpose: tactical preparation and a public nod to a lost teammate.
Martínez’s list is at once tactical staff planning and a public gesture. The coach has given himself room to adjust between now and the final submission, but also forced an early spotlight onto squad management decisions that matter as much emotionally as they do on the pitch. The coming days — and the final roster on May 30 — will tell whether Portugal’s extra name becomes a footnote or the defining detail of a squad built for both memory and medals.
