Portugal’s final line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been nearly completed, with only one goalkeeper yet to be confirmed for omission from the 27-man preliminary squad.
The squad assembled by Roberto Martinez for the upcoming World Cup features 27 players, even though FIFA regulations allow only 26 selections. This means one of the four goalkeepers will be cut before the final registration.
This Portuguese team is stacked with star power as expected. It includes Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year Bruno Fernandes, Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield duo Vitinha and Joao Neves, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes and Ruben Dias, and a formidable attacking unit featuring Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, and Joao Felix.
Alongside the seasoned veterans, Martinez has also included young talents who represent the future of Portuguese football. Nuno Mendes (23), Goncalo Inacio (24) and Diogo Costa (26) add youthful energy to the squad, with Costa still considered very young for a goalkeeper.
And of course, there’s the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo — the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, ranked fourth in FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest footballers ever, will be aiming to lead his nation to their first World Cup title as he continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals.
Portugal’s depth of talent makes them one of the favourites going into the tournament. Even the players left out of the squad are notable — defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha misses out after a disappointing season, promising centre-back Antonio Silva doesn’t make the cut, and youngster Rodrigo Mora, who was featured recently in FourFourTwo’s 'The Boy’s A Bit Special' series, stays home despite his March call-up.
Ronaldo, now 41, will be hoping to emulate Lionel Messi’s fairy-tale ending in Qatar. The question remains — can he still inspire his nation to World Cup glory?
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP), Ricardo Velho (Genclerbirligi)
Defenders: Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomas Araujo (Benfica)
Midfielders: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP), Samu Costa (Mallorca)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr), Rafael Leao (Milan), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Goncalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Conceicao (Juventus)
Upcoming Fixtures:
March 28, 2026: Mexico vs Portugal, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
March 31, 2026: United States vs Portugal, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States
June 6, 2026: Portugal vs Chile, Portugal
June 23, 2026: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States
June 27, 2026: Colombia vs Portugal, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States
September 24, 2026: Portugal vs Wales, Portugal
September 27, 2026: Norway vs Portugal, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
October 1, 2026: Denmark vs Portugal, Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
October 4, 2026: Portugal vs Norway, Portugal
November 14, 2026: Portugal vs Denmark, Portugal
November 17, 2026: Wales vs Portugal, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Recent Results:
November 16, 2025: Portugal 9–1 Armenia, Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal
November 13, 2025: Republic of Ireland 2–0 Portugal, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
October 14, 2025: Portugal 2–2 Hungary, Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
October 11, 2025: Portugal 1–0 Republic of Ireland, Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
September 9, 2025: Hungary 2–3 Portugal, Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary
September 6, 2025: Armenia 0–5 Portugal, Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia
June 8, 2025: Portugal 2–2 Spain (a.e.t., 5–3 pens), Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
June 4, 2025: Germany 1–2 Portugal, Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
March 23, 2025: Portugal 5–2 Denmark (a.e.t., 5–3 agg.), Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
March 20, 2025: Denmark 1–0 Portugal, Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
Portugal are placed in Group K for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Roberto Martinez’s tenure with Portugal marks his second stint as an international manager following his time with Belgium. During his spell with the Red Devils, he guided them to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions France. However, Belgium’s performances in both Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup failed to meet expectations.
In June 2025, Martinez added another accolade to his managerial career by winning the Nations League, complementing his earlier achievements which include the FA Cup with Wigan and the EFL League One title with Swansea in 2008.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy speaks for itself. Ranked fourth among the greatest players of all time by FourFourTwo and second in their list of the best Real Madrid players, Ronaldo remains one of football’s most decorated athletes. Having already conquered almost every major honour, the World Cup remains the only missing piece in his illustrious career. The 2026 edition will mark his sixth and most likely final attempt to lift the coveted trophy. At 41, should he maintain his current scoring pace, he will inch ever closer to achieving 1,000 professional goals.
Written by: Ewan Gennery and Isaac Stacey Stronge
