Portugal has officially confirmed its 26-player roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the nation's ninth appearance at the tournament. The Seleção das Quinas recorded their best-ever finish on debut in 1966, when they took third place in England.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the headliner of the squad. The legendary forward holds Portugal's records for both goals (143) and caps (226), and he will be supported by a deep pool of talent that includes Bruno Fernandes, João Neves, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, and Nuno Mendes. Head coach Roberto Martínez also added goalkeeper Ricardo Velho as a 27th member for training purposes only, as he will not be eligible for the matchday bench. Martínez further confirmed that a symbolic "+1" on the list honors the late Diogo Jota, the Liverpool forward who tragically died in an accident last year.
Portugal's road to the tournament was not an easy one. Drawn into a group with the Republic of Ireland, Hungary, and Armenia, they opened their campaign with three consecutive victories before being held to a draw at away by Hungary. The following month, they suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Ireland. Undeterred, Portugal bounced back to secure their World Cup berth with a commanding 9-1 victory over Armenia in Porto.
Among the more surprising selections is forward Gonçalo Guedes, who returned to the national team in March after a four-year absence, alongside Mallorca midfielder Samuel Costa, who has earned just four caps. Costa's inclusion comes at the expense of João Palhinha and Mateus Fernandes. Other notable absentees include Benfica defender António Silva, along with forwards Paulinho, Pedro Gonçalves, Ricardo Horta, and Porto youngster Rodrigo Mora.
Portugal has been drawn into Group K alongside Colombia, Uzbekistan, and DR Congo, and will sharpen its preparations with home friendlies against Chile on June 6th and Nigeria on June 10th.
Portugal 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves), Rui Silva (Sporting CP), Ricardo Velho (Genclerbirligi)
Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Barcelona, on loan from Al Hilal), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Tomas Araujo (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce)
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Joao Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Samuel Costa (Mallorca)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Goncalo Ramos (PSG), Rafael Leao (Milan), Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP), Joao Felix (Al Nassr), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Conceicao (Juventus), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad)
