Cristiano Ronaldo to Join Portugal Squad for UEFA Nations League

Portugal coach Roberto Martínez has included Cristiano Ronaldo in his team for the first two Nations League matches, following the veteran forward’s poor European Championship performance.

Martínez confirmed the lineup for the upcoming home games against Croatia on September 5 and Scotland on September 8.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Record and Euro 2024 Performance

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 130 goals in international football, did not score in Portugal’s five Euro 2024 games as they were defeated in the quarterfinals by France via penalty shootout.

After Euro 2024, Martínez stated that his team is preparing for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

After their withdrawal from Euro 2024, Martínez stated that it was “too soon” to determine whether Ronaldo had played his final game for his country, given he will be 41 years old by the time the North American event begins.

Martínez reinstated Ronaldo to the starting lineup for the 2022 World Cup in Germany after his predecessor, Fernando Santos, benched him midway through the tournament. Ronaldo scored in the opening game against Ghana but failed to score in the next four games, including a quarterfinal upset to Morocco.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves/ENG), Rui Silva (Real Betis/ESP)

Defenders: Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Chelsea/ENG), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Tiago Santos (Lille/FRA), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Nelson Semedo (Wolves/ENG)

Midfielders: Joao Palhinha (Fulham/ENG), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal/KSA)

Forwards: Joao Felix (Chelsea/ENG), Francisco Trincao (Sporting Lisbon), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting Lisbon), Rafael Leao (AC Milan/ITA), Geovany Quenda (Sporting Lisbon), Pedro Neto (Chelsea/ENG), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr/KSA), Diogo Jota (Liverpool/ENG).