Jorge Jesus, the newly appointed head coach of the Portugal national team, has unveiled his first squad, which notably includes Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo had previously confirmed that the 2026 World Cup would be his last, though he has not officially announced his retirement from international football.
Jesus, who replaced Roberto Martinez after the World Cup, is counting on the team captain to feature prominently in the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures. Portugal will begin their title defense in League A, competing in Group 4.
The most surprising selection in Jesus’s initial squad is 24-year-old goalkeeper Samuel Soares from Benfica, who has been called up to the senior national team for the first time.
The squad also sees the return of João Palhinha, who has not represented Portugal for nearly a year. However, several players who participated in the 2026 World Cup are absent from this list, including José Sá, Nélson Semedo, Samu Costa, Gonçalo Guedes, and Matheus Nunes.
Portugal National Team Squad
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Rui Silva, Samuel Soares.
Defenders: Gonçalo Inácio, Renato Veiga, Rúben Dias, Tomás Araújo, João Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Nuno Tavares, Nuno Mendes.
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, João Palhinha, Rúben Neves, João Neves, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Fábio Silva, Trincão, Francisco Conceição, Gonçalo Ramos, João Félix, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leão.
Portugal will play their first match under Jorge Jesus on 24 September at home against Wales. This will be followed by away games against Norway on 27 September and Denmark on 1 October, before hosting Norway again on 4 October.
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