Jorge Jesus revealed his first squad since taking over as coach on Friday, and Cristiano Ronaldo was called up for the beginning of Portugal’s Nations League campaign.
Ronaldo, 41, announced last month that this would probably be his last football season, capping an incredible career in which he has scored over 950 goals for both club and country. Before departing Al-Nassr in May after leading the team to the Saudi Pro League championship, Jesus was the coach of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo.
Following Portugal’s World Cup elimination in the round of 16, he took Roberto Martinez’s place. With 146 goals in 233 games, Ronaldo is the top scorer in men’s international football history.
Portugal Call-Up At 41
Last summer, he became the first player to score at six World Cups, but both his tournament performances and Martinez’s continued support for his ageing captain received criticism. Benfica midfielder Joao Palhinha is back for the first time in almost a year, while Borussia Dortmund striker Fabio Silva has been called up for the first time since making his only international appearance in November 2024.
In four seasons, Portugal has won the Nations League twice. They defeated Spain on penalties in the 2025 final to become the current champions. The Portuguese will play Wales in Lisbon on September 24 to start their 2026-27 campaign. They will then play Norway in Oslo three days later, Denmark away on October 1, and Norway again in Porto on October 4.
Mbappe To Lead
After announcing his first squad since taking over as Les Bleus coach in place of Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane announced on Friday that Kylian Mbappe would be his captain for France. At the end of July, Zidane, who played with Deschamps in the France teams that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, was named the next coach for a four-year term.
The UEFA Nations League will include his first games as manager, starting with a trip to Turkey on Friday and a play against Belgium in Brussels on September 28. On October 2, Zidane’s first home match as manager will take place at the Stade de France against Italy. Three days later, his new team will welcome Belgium.
Zidane, a 54-year-old former Ballon d’Or winner, has included a number of new players in his first squad. Jeremy Jacquet, a 21-year-old center back, is included as a reward for his contributions to Liverpool after joining the Premier League team during the off-season. While midfielder Lucas Da Cunha of Como has a spot in Serie A, Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, who finished first in Ligue 1 the previous season, receives his first call-up.
Guillaume Restes, the goalkeeper for Toulouse, and Andy Diouf, a midfielder or wing-back for Inter Milan, are also included. The injured Arsenal defender William Saliba, Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, and Inter forward Marcus Thuram are notable figures who attended the World Cup but are not included in the roster.