Cristiano Ronaldo was a notable absentee as Portugal manager Roberto Martinez announced his squad for their pre-FIFA World Cup friendlies on Friday. Portugal faces Mexico on March 28 at Azteca Banorte Stadium, and then the USA on March 31 in Atlanta.
Ronaldo sustained an injury while playing for Al-Nassr recently. He has been recovering in Madrid. He was expected to be fit soon, but his recovery has reportedly stalled.
‘He is not at risk’: Roberto Martinez
But Martinez clarified Ronaldo’s situation and revealed that he will be fit for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
“The World Cup is not at risk! He is not at risk. It is a minor muscle injury, and we think he can return in a week or two. Everything Cristiano has done physically during the season shows that he is in great shape,” he said.
Ronaldo suffered a hamstring injury after the Al Fayha game, according to Al Nassr. He was initially recovering in Saudi Arabia, but due to the ongoing Gulf conflict, he and his family reportedly flew to Spain. Ronaldo has been in good form this season and leads the Golden Boot race with 21 goals in the league. Al Nassr are on top of the table, with 67 points from 26 matches.
He will be key for Portugal at the upcoming World Cup. He has represented his country in eleven major tournaments, and this will be his sixth World Cup. He notably led Portugal to the Euro 2016 title. He also guided them to two UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.
Portugal squad –
Goalkeepers -Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP)
Defenders- Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Antonio Silva (SL Benfica) and Tomas Araujo (SL Benfica);
Midfielders- Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Samu Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), Joao Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) and Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto);
Forwards- Ricardo Horta (SC Braga), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP), João Felix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceicão (Juventus), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad) and Goncalo Ramos (PSG). (
