Roberto Martínez named Portugal's squad on Thursday, a 27-players-plus-one list that includes Cristiano Ronaldo and carries an explicit tribute to the team-mate they lost last summer. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has been selected for what will be a record sixth World Cup.
The selection underlines why Portugal will lean on Ronaldo's experience: he holds the men's records for international appearances and goals, with 226 caps and 143 goals, and is the only footballer to have scored in five different World Cup editions. He first played in a World Cup in 2006 and has since appeared at the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments, registering 22 World Cup matches and eight goals. Martínez said of him bluntly, "He is our strength, our joy," as he confirmed the veteran's place.
The squad mixes established names and newer faces. Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, João Neves, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Ramos, Renato Veiga and João Félix all made the 27-plus-one list, and Chelsea winger Pedro Neto was named as well. Neto made 50 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring ten goals, and has 23 caps for Portugal; the squad announcement marks his first World Cup after featuring at the 2024 European Championship and the 2025 Nation League Finals, the latter won by Portugal after overcoming Spain. Martínez framed the roster as carrying more than players: "Losing Diogo was an unforgettable and very difficult moment, but the very next day it was up to all of us to fight for Diogo's dream and for the example he always set in our national team." He added, "Diogo Jota's spirit, strength and example are the plus one and will always be the plus one." The "plus one" wording is the public tribute to Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash last July.
Portugal's schedule before and during the tournament is set: friendlies against Chile and Nigeria precede their Group K opener against DR Congo in Houston on 17 June, then a game against Uzbekistan in Houston and a final group match with Colombia in Miami. Martínez stressed the narrow runway at a World Cup and the practical approach he expects from his players: "In a World Cup, you don’t follow a pattern that fits the club, the age, none of that. Everyone is focused and we have to manage the day-to-day well, that’s all" and later elaborated, "Managing is something very natural. In a World Cup, you do not follow a pattern that fits the club, the age, none of that. Everyone is focused and we have to manage the day-to-day well, that is all. We can talk about many dreams, but we only have three matches to start, this is our World Cup. And we have to manage these three in the best way possible. We already have a lot of information, we are talking about almost 40 matches together. Now it is about managing the group during the World Cup, something natural. We have a lot of faith in the commitment and talent of our players to do well".
The selection also carries clear tensions. Ronaldo told reporters in Saudi Arabia last November that the 2026 World Cup would be the last in which he takes part, and he was sent off in Portugal's penultimate qualifier that same month. Martínez has nonetheless included him, and the squad still contains one extra player: one goalkeeper will be omitted before the final deadline so the roster complies with the 26-man limit. That forced choice and Ronaldo's public comments make Portugal's short-term plan simple and risky at once — lean on experience while trimming personnel.
By naming Ronaldo, Martínez has signalled a team built around veteran leadership and a public vow to carry Diogo Jota's memory into the tournament; whether that combination will carry Portugal through three tough opening games beginning in Houston on 17 June is the immediate test the coach and his players will face when the ball starts to roll.
