LISBON : Cristiano Ronaldo will play at a sixth World Cup at the age of 41 after Portugal coach Roberto Martinez on Tuesday named a 27-man squad for the tournament, including a symbolic extra player in honour of the late Diogo Jota.
Speaking at Cidade do Futebol, Martinez said fourth-choice goalkeeper Ricardo Velho of Genclerbirligi Ankara would travel with the squad but could only be added to the official 26-man list if one of the registered goalkeepers suffered an injury.
Portugal, the reigning UEFA Nations League champions, begin their Group K campaign at the FIFA World Cup 2026 against the Democratic Republic of the Congo national football team in Houston on June 17.
They will then face Uzbekistan national football team on June 23 before concluding the group stage against Colombia national football team in Miami on June 27.
Martinez described his selection as “27 players plus one”, referring to Jota, who died in a car accident in July last year at the age of 28.
“He is our strength, our joy,” Martinez said. “Losing Diogo was an unforgettable and very difficult moment, but the very next day it was up to all of us to fight for Diogo’s dream and for the example he always set in our national team.
“Diogo Jota’s spirit, strength and example are the +1 and will always be the +1.”
Martinez defended his decision to take four goalkeepers and five fullbacks, citing the demands of weather conditions and travel during the tournament across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“The complexity of the tournament is very important — the demands of the weather, the time zone, everything we already experienced in March,” he said.
“There are positions where we need to have more than two players per position. And we need five fullbacks.”
He praised the versatility of players such as Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo and Matheus Nunes, while highlighting the attacking creativity of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Joao Felix.
Portugal will play warm-up friendlies against Chile national football team in Oeiras on June 6 and Nigeria national football team in Leiria on June 10 before heading to their training camp in Palm Beach, Florida.
