Cristiano Ronaldo has been ignored of Portugal‘s squad for the March World Cup warmup games towards Mexico and the United States having failed to get well from a proper hamstring harm.
The Portugal captain’s health was a priority after he had sustained the muscular drawback whereas taking part in for Saudi Pro League leaders Al Nassr on Feb. 28.
Ronaldo, 41, has undergone remedy in Madrid up to now two weeks however is unavailable to face Mexico on the renovated Azteca Stadium on March 28. Nor will he play towards the United States on March 31 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ronaldo has not performed within the U.S. since 2014, when he was right here as a part of Real Madrid’s preseason tour.
Portugal will start its World Cup marketing campaign in Houston on June 17 towards a winner of this month’s playoff match.
Portugal coach Roberto Martínez reassured followers that Ronaldo is just not susceptible to lacking what shall be a document sixth World Cup.
“No, he’s not in danger,” he stated when saying 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 accomplished bodily this season exhibits that he is in nice form.”
Ronaldo made his first public U.S. appearance since that 2014 preseason tour as a guest at the White House last November as President Donald Trump hosted a dinner to honor Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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 within the squad as is Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes, who has seven targets and 16 assists in 27 league games this season.
West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes has earned his first call-up and is one in every of six Premier League-based gamers in Portugal’s squad. Real Sociedad winger Gonçalo Guedes returns to the squad having not featured for the nationwide staff since 2022.
“Guedes is a flexible participant,” Martínez said. “He has scored 9 targets this season and is in glorious type.
“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 center forward position belongs to Cristiano and Gonçalo Ramos, and we’re looking for a striker with a different profile.
“And he is in a type that deserves a call-up. We’re very enthusiastic about what he may carry to the nationwide staff 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).
