LISBON (AP) – Cristiano Ronaldo was named to Portugal’s squad for the tournament on Tuesday and will aim to play in a record sixth World Cup, with coach Roberto Martínez adding the late Diogo Jota to his “eternal plus one” in memory of the player who passed away last year.
Martínez said all eyes will be on Jota as the national team seeks to win the football showcase event for the first time. Jota, 28, who was a regular on the Portugal national team, died in a car accident in Spain in July last year.
“The final list includes 27 names plus one name,” Martinez said. “Losing Diogo Jota was an unforgettable moment and a very difficult moment. But the next day it was up to all of us to fight for Diogo Jota’s dream and for the example that he was in the national team. Diogo Jota’s spirit, strength and example are a plus one. He will forever be a plus one.”
Martínez selected 41-year-old Ronaldo and 26 other players to help Portugal win their first World Cup title.
This will likely be Ronaldo’s final shot at winning football’s most coveted trophy. It will be his first World Cup since leaving elite European football to play in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo and his great rival Lionel Messi could become the first players to appear in six Men’s World Cups.
“When we talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, we talk about two players,” Martinez said. “We talk about an icon in world football and we also talk about a captain, a player who has the same demands as other players and is competitive in his national team. Our captain is an example of that. We hope he continues to exhibit the same level of responsibility and leadership within the locker room.”
Ronaldo is the all-time leader in appearances (226) and goals (143) for the men’s national team. He is also the only player to score in five World Cups.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nasr celebrates after scoring at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 19, 2023 (AP Photo/Hussein Mara, File)
Ronaldo told CNN in November that this was “definitely” his last World Cup.
The list also included Ronaldo’s Al Nasr teammate Joao Felix, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes. Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes, Vicinha, João Neves and Gonzalo Ramos also made the list.
The final squad for the World Cup can only include a maximum of 26 players, but Martínez has included Ricardo Velho as his fourth-choice goalkeeper, who will only feature if the other three are injured. Martinez said he has personally spoken to nearly all of the players he removed.
Portugal are in Group K along with Colombia, Uzbekistan and Congo. Portugal open against Congo in Houston on June 17th.
Martínez said Portugal could be considered favorites to win the tournament, but that they should not be included in the list.
“At the World Cup, it’s not about playing well, it’s not about whether you’re talented or not,” he said. “There are a lot of challenges. I think the only team that can be contenders is a national team that has already won the World Cup. I welcome the pressure and it’s not a problem, but I think ‘contender’ is probably a better word to describe the good moments we’ve had.”
Portugal defeated hosts Germany in the semi-finals and Spain in the final to win the 2025 Nations League.
“Given the talent and spirit of our group, we can all dream,” Martinez said. “Sure, we can dream and we can be candidates, but we can’t be favorites.”
Portugal will begin preparations on June 1st and will play warm-up matches against Chile on June 6th and Nigeria on June 10th. Heading to the US on June 12th.
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Portugal representative:
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Ricardo Velho (Gensler Virho)
Defenders: Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce), Matheus Nunez (Manchester City), Gonzalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomas Araujo (Benfica).
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Vicinha (PSG), Joao Neves (PSG), Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Sam Costa (Mallorca)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nasr), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Joao Félix (Al Nasr), Gonzalo Ramos (PSG), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Gonzalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Francisco Trincão (Sporting Lisbon).
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
