Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Portugal at their sixth World Cup.
CR7 will embark on a sixth World Cup at the age of 41 after Portugal coach Roberto Martinez on Tuesday named a 27-man squad for the tournament, with a symbolic ‘plus one’ in memory of the late Diogo Jota.
The news confirmed after Martinez speaking at Cidade do Futebol said that fourth-choice goalkeeper Ricardo Velho of Genclerbirligi Ankara will travel with the squad but can only be added to the official 26-man list in the event of an injury to one of the three registered keepers.
Martinez said his selection comprised “27 players plus one”, a reference to Liverpool forward Jota, who died in a car accident in July last year aged 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.”
The coach defended his decision to name four goalkeepers and five fullbacks while leaving out players including Mateus Fernandes, Ricardo Horta and Pedro Goncalves.
“The complexity of the tournament is very important – the demands of the weather, the time zone, everything we already experienced in March,” Martinez said. “There are positions where we need to have more than two players per position. And we need five fullbacks.”
Portugal World Cup Squad
Portugal warms up against Chile in Oeiras on June 6 and Nigeria in Leiria on June 10. FIFA has stipulated that the squad must be in their Palm Beach, Florida, training camp at least five days before their opening match.
Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first-ever player to be called up to six World Cup tournaments.
