Portugal announces squad for the 2026 World Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo set for sixth appearance on the biggest stage
Portugal has announced its list of players for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and, as expected, the name attracting the most attention is Cristiano Ronaldo, who is set to appear in the United States, Canada and Mexico at his sixth World Cup. In its announcement about the Portuguese team, FIFA stated that head coach Roberto Martínez included the 41-year-old captain in the squad for the tournament, continuing one of the longest international careers in football history. Ronaldo first played at the world showcase in 2006 in Germany, and after that he was part of the Portuguese national team in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. If he also plays at the 2026 tournament, his appearance will carry a strong symbolic dimension because Portugal is still waiting for its first world title. Martínez’s decision confirms that the Portuguese staff, despite great generational depth and numerous players from the strongest European leagues, is still relying on the experience of the most famous player in the history of the national team.
Martínez takes 27 players and explains an unusual choice
According to a Reuters report carried by Al Jazeera, Roberto Martínez presented a list of 27 players, although official final squads are usually reduced to 26 footballers. The distinctive feature of Portugal’s selection concerns the goalkeeper position: alongside Diogo Costa, José Sá and Rui Silva, the list also includes Ricardo Velho, who, according to the coach’s explanation, would travel as an additional option and could enter the official squad only in the event of an injury to one of the registered goalkeepers. Martínez justified such a decision by referring to the demands of the tournament, time differences, travel and the conditions awaiting national teams at the first World Cup with 48 participants and 104 matches. In his interpretation, Portugal must have enough cover in positions where injuries or physical strain could change the plan during the competition. He also particularly emphasized the need for a larger number of full-backs, which suggests that an intense rhythm of matches and tactical flexibility in different phases of the tournament are expected.
Martínez also described the list as “27 players plus one”, referring to Diogo Jota, the Portuguese forward who, according to Reuters’ report, died in a traffic accident in July 2025. The coach said that Jota’s spirit, strength and example remain part of the national team, giving the squad announcement an emotional tone as well. In sporting terms, Portugal goes to the tournament as the current winner of the Nations League, and that result has further increased expectations for a team that in recent years has possessed one of the broadest bases of quality players in Europe. According to information published by FIFA and relevant sports media, the squad includes players from Manchester City, PSG, Manchester United, Chelsea, Milan, Sporting, Benfica, Porto and other clubs, confirming the depth of Portugal’s selection. Still, the decision on an expanded list shows that the coach does not view the tournament only through names, but also through logistics, health risks and the demanding dynamics of a competition held in three host countries.
Ronaldo remains the central story, but Portugal has more than one star
Cristiano Ronaldo is still the most recognizable name of the Portuguese national team, but the current squad can no longer be reduced solely to his role in attack. According to the list published by FIFA and Reuters, the attacking part of the team also includes João Félix, Francisco Trincão, Francisco Conceição, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leão, Gonçalo Guedes and Gonçalo Ramos. Such a selection gives Martínez different attacking profiles: from more classical finishers to wide players who can stretch the play and attack space. Ronaldo, who plays for Al Nassr, brings experience, finishing ability and enormous authority in the dressing room, but his role will have to fit into a team in which Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha and João Neves carry an important creative burden. The Portuguese coach therefore has the possibility to build play through possession, quick combinations and individual quality in the final third.
In midfield, Portugal has a mix of experience and new energy. Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva have had key roles in the national team for years, while Vitinha and João Neves represent a generation that has gained significant international experience at PSG in recent seasons. Rúben Neves brings calmness in ball distribution, while Samuel Costa broadens the options in a role that requires physical stability and tactical discipline. Sports analysts point out that the balance between creative midfielders and defensive security will be one of the key questions for Portugal. The team has enough players who can dominate the ball, but the World Cup often rewards sides that know how to control the tempo, withstand pressure and quickly adapt to the opponent. In that context, Ronaldo can be the finishing point of the attack, but Portugal’s ambitions will depend on a much broader system.
A defence with strong names and an emphasis on wide positions
The defensive part of the list includes Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Tomás Araújo, Renato Veiga, Diogo Dalot, João Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, Nelson Semedo and Matheus Nunes, whom Martínez uses as a highly adaptable option. Rúben Dias remains the central defender and one of the most important players for the stability of Portugal’s back line, while Nuno Mendes and João Cancelo provide width, penetration and experience in the wide positions. The inclusion of more wide players shows that the coach expects matches in which Portugal will have to change the rhythm, the height of the defensive line and the structure of the attack. According to Reuters’ report, Martínez spoke specifically about the need for five full-backs, explaining it by the demands of the tournament and the specific conditions in North America. Such an approach indicates caution, but also an awareness that in an expanded tournament the path to the final stages can become considerably longer.
Goalkeeper Diogo Costa should be the first choice, while José Sá and Rui Silva bring additional security. Ricardo Velho, according to the published information, has a special status because his role would depend on possible health circumstances among the goalkeepers. Such a detail rarely attracts the attention of the wider public, but it says a lot about the way coaching staffs plan major competitions. At the 2026 World Cup, national teams will play in different climatic conditions, with travel between host cities, so squad depth can become just as important as the starting lineup. Portugal’s defence, meanwhile, will have to respond to different opponent profiles in the group: physically strong DR Congo, disciplined Uzbekistan and technically dangerous Colombia. The ability to adapt to different styles of play will be one of the tests for Martínez’s team.
Group K gives Portugal a demanding but navigable path
According to FIFA’s official schedule, Portugal will play in Group K with DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia. It will play its first match on 17 June 2026 against DR Congo in Houston, then on 23 June it will face Uzbekistan, also in Houston, and it will conclude the group on 27 June against Colombia in Miami. FIFA states that the tournament will be played from 11 June to 19 July 2026, in 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. This will be the largest World Cup so far, with 48 national teams and 104 matches, which means that the competitive dynamics are also changing compared with previous editions. Portugal enters the group as the favorite, but the format with a larger number of participants does not necessarily reduce the risk, especially because the number of matches increases in the knockout phase.
DR Congo is returning to the world stage after a long absence, Uzbekistan is making its debut at the tournament, and Colombia traditionally has players capable of creating problems even for the strongest national teams. Portugal will therefore have to avoid underestimating its opponents and secure a stable position in the group as early as possible. A win in the first match against DR Congo would be of great importance because it would give Martínez more room to manage playing time in the rest of the group stage. The meeting with Uzbekistan could be tactically different because debutants at major tournaments often play with discipline and pronounced caution. The duel with Colombia in Miami could decide first place in the group, and first place can bring a more favorable route in the early stages of the knockout section, although the draw in such a large tournament always leaves room for surprises.
The player list confirms the breadth of Portugal’s generation
In the goalkeeper positions, according to the published list, are Diogo Costa from Porto, José Sá from Wolverhampton, Rui Silva from Sporting and Ricardo Velho, who is listed as an additional goalkeeping option. In defence are Diogo Dalot, Matheus Nunes, Nelson Semedo, João Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Inácio, Renato Veiga, Rúben Dias and Tomás Araújo. The midfield consists of Rúben Neves, Samuel Costa, João Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. In attack are João Félix, Francisco Trincão, Francisco Conceição, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leão, Gonçalo Guedes, Gonçalo Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo. Such a squad shows that Portugal has players for several tactical systems, from a formation with a classic striker to variants with a more mobile front line and an additional midfielder between the lines.
At the same time, the list also raises questions about those who were not included. According to Reuters’ report, those left out of the squad include, among others, Mateus Fernandes, Ricardo Horta and Pedro Gonçalves. Such decisions inevitably spark debate because Portugal currently has a large number of players who would have a more secure place in many other national teams. Martínez therefore does not choose only individual quality, but also compatibility with the game plan, positional balance and the ability of players to accept different roles during the tournament. In international football, where preparation time is limited, a clear hierarchy can be just as important as technical quality. Portugal’s list therefore looks like an attempt to combine star status, experience from previous tournaments and younger energy that should carry the national team after the Ronaldo era.
Portugal seeks its first world title
Portugal was European champion in 2016, and in the Nations League it has confirmed its status as one of the strongest European national teams, but the world champion title is still missing. Its best result at World Cups remains third place from 1966, while with Ronaldo in the team it went furthest in 2006, when it finished fourth. That is precisely why the 2026 tournament is seen as a possible last chance for one great national-team story to end with the trophy that is missing. Sporting News states that Ronaldo came closest to the final stages at previous World Cups in Germany in 2006, and that Portugal has not gone beyond the quarter-finals since then. Such history creates pressure, but also additional motivation for a team that, by names, is capable of playing against any opponent.
For Martínez, the tournament will also be a major personal test. After taking over Portugal in 2023, he inherited a team of great potential and enormous expectations. His task is not only to find a place for Ronaldo, but also to build a system in which the creativity of Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, the technical security of Vitinha and João Neves, the speed of the wingers and the stability of the defence led by Rúben Dias will be used to the fullest. Portugal is not travelling to North America as an outsider or as a sentimental project dedicated to the farewell of one legend, but as a national team with genuine quality for a high finish. Whether that quality will be enough for a first world title will depend on the health of key players, their form during June and July, and the ability to find balance between ambition and caution in the most important matches.
Sources:
- FIFA – announcement about the Portuguese team for the 2026 World Cup and the inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo (link)
- FIFA – official schedule of the 2026 World Cup, groups, host cities and matches (link)
- Al Jazeera / Reuters – report from the announcement of Portugal’s squad, Roberto Martínez’s explanation and list of players (link)
- The Sporting News – overview of Portugal’s squad, qualification context and Portugal’s World Cup history (link)