Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has unveiled his first squad since Cristiano Ronaldo ended his international career, making seven alterations to the team ahead of their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.
Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football earlier this week, bringing an end to an illustrious career in which he established himself as the highest-scoring player and most-capped footballer in men’s international football.
The 41-year-old finished his Portugal career with an impressive record of 146 goals in 234 appearances after making his senior debut in 2003. He also played a crucial role in helping the country secure its first major international trophy at Euro 2016.
During his time with the national team, Ronaldo won two UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025, further cementing his status as one of Portugal’s greatest-ever footballers.
Although he was initially persuaded to continue representing his country following Portugal’s round-of-16 elimination at this year’s World Cup, his international future became uncertain after an incident during the previous international break.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward reportedly left the national team camp after being dropped to the bench for Portugal’s Nations League victory over Norway. He subsequently received a 30-day suspension from the Portuguese Football Federation, FPF, before deciding to bring his international career to an end ahead of the November fixtures.
FPF president Pedro Proença has indicated that the federation intends to recognise Ronaldo’s remarkable achievements and lasting contribution to Portuguese football.
Meanwhile, Jesus has introduced seven new faces into his 28-man squad, with Alberto Costa, António Silva, Matheus Fernandes, Carlos Forbs, Geovany Quenda, Rodrigo Mora and Gustavo Varela earning places in the team.
Francisco Conceicao will miss the upcoming matches because of a three-game UEFA suspension following his red card against Norway. Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes is also unavailable due to injury, while Goncalo Inacio has been left out.
Alberto Costa and Gustavo Varela have received their first senior invitations to the Portugal national team. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Mora and Geovany Quenda will be hoping to make their senior international debuts after previously featuring in squads under former coach Roberto Martinez without earning their first caps.
Portugal head into the remaining group matches in impressive form, having won all four of their opening Nations League games to secure qualification for the quarter-finals.
Jesus’ men require just one more point to guarantee first place in their group.
They will welcome Denmark on November 14 before travelling to Cardiff to take on Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium on November 17.
Portugal’s Full 28-Man Squad
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting), Samuel Soares (Benfica).
Defenders: João Cancelo (Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Alberto Costa (Porto), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomás Araújo (Benfica), António Silva (Bournemouth), Nuno Tavares (Lazio).
Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Joao Palhinha (Benfica), Matheus Fernandes (Tottenham), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid).
Forwards: Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Rodrigo Mora (Roma), Francisco Trincao (Al-Ahli), Rafael Leao (Galatasaray), Geovany Quenda (Chelsea), Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr), Goncalo Ramos (Milan), Fabio Silva (Borussia Dortmund), Gustavo Varela (Monza).