Warning: Undefined array key "post_type_share_twitter_account" in /var/www/vhosts/casinonewsblogger.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/cryptocurrency/vslmd/share/share.php on line 24
Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal‘s squad for the March World Cup warm-up games in Mexico and the United States having failed to recover from a right hamstring injury.
The Portugal captain’s fitness was a concern after he had sustained the muscular problem while playing for Saudi Pro League leaders Al Nassr on Feb. 28.
Ronaldo, 41, has undergone treatment in Madrid in the past two weeks but is unavailable to face Mexico at the renovated Azteca stadium on March 28. Nor will he play against the United States on March 31 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Portugal coach Roberto Martínez reassured fans that Ronaldo is not at risk of missing what will be a record sixth World Cup.
“No, he’s not in danger,” he said when announcing his 27-man squad on Friday. “It’s a minor muscle injury, and we think he can be back in a week or two.
“Everything Cristiano has done physically this season shows that he’s in great shape.”
The all-time leading scorer in men’s international football with 143 goals, Ronaldo had missed Portugal’s last game of 2025, a 9-1 victory over Armenia in their final World Cup qualifier on Nov. 16, through suspension.
Ronaldo’s in-form Al Nassr teammate João Félix is in the squad as is Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes, who has seven goals and 16 assists in 27 league games this season.
West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes has earned his first call-up and is one of six Premier League based players in Portugal’s squad. Real Sociedad winger Gonçalo Guedes returns to the squad having not featured for the national team since 2022.
“Guedes is a versatile player,” Martínez said. “He’s scored nine goals this season and is in excellent form.
“He’s a game-changing striker, a player who is of great interest to us. I’ve already said that for the World Cup, the centre-forward position belongs to Cristiano and Gonçalo Ramos, and we’re looking for a striker with a different profile.
“And he’s in a form that deserves a call-up. We’re very excited about what he could bring to the national team in these friendlies.”
Portugal squad: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP); Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Gonçalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), António Silva (SL Benfica) and Tomás Araújo (SL Benfica); Rúben Neves (Al Hilal), Samú Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), João Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) and Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto); Ricardo Horta (SC Braga), Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting CP), João Félix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad) and Gonçalo Ramos (PSG).