Portugal: Jorge Jesus names first squad since Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement (Official)

Portugal begin a new era without Cristiano Ronaldo, with Jorge Jesus naming his squad after an unbeaten start to the Nations League campaign.

Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus announced his latest international squad on Friday, 6 November 2026, for the final two matches of the UEFA Nations League group stage. It is the first squad since Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football on 5 November. Alberto Costa and Gustavo Varela have received their first senior call-ups, while Carlos Forbs, António Silva and Mateus Fernandes return to the national team setup.

Bernardo Silva succeeds Cristiano Ronaldo as captain

Ronaldo's departure also marks the end of an era for Portugal's captaincy. The 41-year-old finished his international career with a record 234 appearances and 146 goals. Bernardo Silva, aged 32 and with 115 caps according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, is now the team's captain, with Bruno Fernandes and Rúben Dias among the experienced figures in the leadership group. Ronaldo's international honours include Euro 2016 and Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. The Portuguese federation and Jesus paid tribute following his announcement that he was retiring from international duty.

Portugal's full squad by position

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Rui Silva, Samuel Soares.

Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Alberto Costa, Rúben Dias, Tomás Araújo, Renato Veiga, António Silva, João Cancelo, Nuno Tavares.

Midfielders: João Palhinha, Rúben Neves, Mateus Fernandes, Vitinha, João Neves, Bernardo Silva.

Forwards and attacking players: Pedro Neto, Francisco Trincão, Carlos Forbs, Rafael Leão, Geovany Quenda, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix, Rodrigo Mora, Gonçalo Ramos, Fábio Silva, Gustavo Varela.

Two wins in the last international break

Portugal won both fixtures during October's international window, beating Denmark 4-2 away on 1 October before overcoming Norway 2-1 on 4 October. They scored six goals and conceded three across those two games. Combined with September's wins over Wales (1-0) and Norway (2-1), those results give Jesus a perfect record of four victories from four Nations League matches, with nine goals scored and four conceded.

Portugal currently lead Group A4 on 12 points, ahead of Denmark on six, with Wales and Norway both on three. Their place in the quarter-finals is already secure. The Seleção host Denmark in Braga on 14 November, then travel to Wales on 17 November. Those fixtures, listed in the competition schedule, will be Bernardo Silva's first international tests in the post-Ronaldo era. Jesus had also responded to Ronaldo's retirement announcement, acknowledging the significance of losing the national team's long-serving leader.

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Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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