Roberto Martinez has named his final 26-man Portugal squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Cristiano Ronaldo included for what is widely expected to be the 41-year-old’s last appearance at football’s greatest stage.
The announcement was made on 19 May, ahead of FIFA’s 30 May deadline for final squad submissions. Portugal enter the tournament as one of the stronger contenders, buoyed by their UEFA Nations League triumph earlier this year, which saw them beat Denmark, Germany and Spain.
Ronaldo’s inclusion was the most anticipated name on the list. The World Cup remains the one glaring absence from his extraordinary collection of honours. He reached the semi-finals at his debut tournament in 2006, helping Portugal finish fourth, but has not advanced past the quarter-finals since and has scored only one knockout-stage goal across five previous appearances. This will be his sixth World Cup, a remarkable figure given that Portugal have appeared at the tournament only nine times in their entire history. He travels to North America under the shadow of a red card received against the Republic of Ireland during qualifying, which initially cast doubt over his availability for the opening group games before FIFA granted a reprieve.
While Ronaldo remains the face of the squad, Bruno Fernandes is now its most important player. The Manchester United midfielder, 31, has been outstanding this season, finishing the Premier League campaign as its best chance creator by a considerable margin and pushing the assists record. He is the engine around whom Portugal’s attacking play is most likely to revolve, alongside the Paris Saint-Germain trio of Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes, who give Portugal a cohesive and world-class central spine. Joao Palhinha, currently on loan at Tottenham from Bayern Munich, adds physicality and range, while Bernardo Silva and Ruben Neves provide further quality and experience in midfield.
Defensively, Portugal look solid. Ruben Dias and Antonio Silva provide authority at the back, while Nuno Mendes has developed into one of the finest full-backs in world football. Joao Cancelo, on loan at Barcelona from Al-Hilal, and Diogo Dalot offer further options at full-back.
In the forward line, the picture is less convincing. Rafael Leao has had a below-par season at AC Milan, managing only nine goals and three assists in Serie A and scoring just five times in 43 international caps. Joao Felix, also 26, appears to be already past his early peak. How Martinez deploys both players will be one of the more intriguing tactical questions of the tournament. Goncalo Ramos provides a more reliable central goal threat, while Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao offer pace and directness from wide areas.
The tournament will carry particular emotional weight for Portugal. They compete for the greatest prize in football a year on from the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota, whose absence will be felt deeply throughout the campaign.
Martinez has been in charge since January 2023, replacing Fernando Santos after the 2022 World Cup. His Portugal side reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, where they were eliminated by France on penalties, before claiming the Nations League title. Portugal qualified automatically for the 2026 tournament by finishing top of UEFA qualifying Group F with 13 points from six matches, three points clear of the Republic of Ireland, including a 9-1 demolition of Armenia.
Portugal are drawn in Group K and open their campaign against DR Congo in Houston on 17 June. They then face Uzbekistan on 23 June before concluding their group stage against Colombia on 27 June.
Full squad
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP), Ricardo Velho
Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Al-Hilal, on loan at Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Nelson Semedo, Antonio Silva (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomas Araujo
Midfielders: Samu Costa (Mallorca), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Joao Palhinha (Bayern Munich, on loan at Tottenham), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: Francisco Conceicao (Juventus), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Goncalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Trincao
