Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal’s squad for the upcoming pre-World Cup friendlies against Mexico and the United States. The 41-year-old forward has not featured for his club Al-Nassr since the end of February, but Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez assured that the injury is not serious.
“Not at Risk” for World Cup
Martinez downplayed concerns over Ronaldo’s fitness as he is suffering from hamstring injury ahead of the global tournament:“It’s a minor injury,” Martinez said at a press conference, adding that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could be back “within one or two weeks”.“Everything Cristiano has done physically during this season shows that he’s going through an excellent spell and that there are no physical problems. “At the World Cup, the centre-forward position will be for Cristiano Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos. We are looking for a third striker with a different profile.”
Portugal’s Final Preparations Before World Cup
Portugal will take on:
- Mexico on March 28 in Mexico City
- United States on April 1 in Atlanta
“This is the last chance to experiment, because it’s the final training camp before the World Cup squad is named,” said Martinez.
World Cup 2026 Group Details
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will run from June 11 to July 19. Portugal have been drawn in Group K alongside Colombia, UzbekistanThe final team in the group will be decided through playoffs, with New Caledonia, Jamaica, or DR Congo in contention.Portugal Squad for Friendlies:Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, José Sá, Rui SilvaDefenders: Matheus Nunes, Diogo Dalot, João Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Inácio, Renato Veiga, António Silva, Tomás AraújoMidfielders: Rúben Neves, Samu Costa, Mateus Fernandes, João Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Rodrigo MoraForwards: Ricardo Horta, Pedro Gonçalves, João Félix, Francisco Trincão, Francisco Conceição, Rafael Leão, Pedro Neto, Gonçalo Guedes, Gonçalo Ramos
