Will Cristiano Ronaldo feature in a home game for the last time when Portugal host Nigeria in a friendly match before flying out to the USA for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez quashed the rumours and revealed that the players aren’t thinking about the future. Ronaldo, the most-capped player in history with 227 caps, will feature in his sixth FIFA World Cup. “Our captain sets an example in everything he does. He gives his all, 24 hours a day, to help the national team. Our captain and the rest of the players are not thinking about the future. We don’t know what can happen in the future because they can get injured and there are decisions that are out of their hands,” Martinez said.
“The focus is on training, being the best, putting the concepts into practice and showing pride in wearing the shirt. That’s the example he sets. His sole aim is to use it for tomorrow to improve,” he added. The Portugal-Nigeria friendly will be played at Leiria on Wednesday (June 10). Following the game, the Portugal football team will land in Florida.
Cristiano Ronaldo has never won the FIFA World Cup
Cristiano has won accolades across the globe and lifted number of titles at the club level. But the FIFA World Cup trophy continues to elude him. In 2006, Portugal finished fourth while in 2010, they made it to the round of 16.
They crashed out of the league stage of the 2014 WC. In 2018, Portugal made it to the round of round of 16 after 8 years. Portugal suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Morocco in the 2022 WC. Ronaldo, who left the stadium in tears, is set to play another FIFA World Cup with an eye on the title.
Portugal World Cup fixtures
Portugal will play their first 2 WC matches at the Houston Stadium on June 17 and 23 against Congo and Uzbekistan, respectively. Their final league stage fixture will be against Colombia on June 28. The fixture will take place at the Miami Stadium.
Portugal Squad For FIFA World Cup 2026:
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Ricardo Velho (Gençlerbirliği)
Defenders: Rúben Dias (Manchester City), João Cancelo (Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Nélson Semedo (Fenerbahce), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Gonçalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomás Araújo (Benfica)
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Vitinha (PSG), João Neves (PSG), Rúben Neves (Al Hilal), Samú Costa (Mallorca)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), João Félix (Al Nassr), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Francisco Trincão (Sporting Lisbon)