Lisbon, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Cristiano Ronaldo has put an end to speculation over his international future after being named in Portugal’s squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, with new head coach Jorge Jesus including the veteran forward in his first selection.
Ronaldo had declined to confirm whether he would continue playing for Portugal following the team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 round-of-16 defeat to eventual champions Spain in July. The 41-year-old had indicated that the tournament would be his final World Cup but had stopped short of announcing his retirement from international football.
His inclusion in Jesus’ first squad confirms that Ronaldo remains available for Portugal as the team begins a new chapter under its new head coach.
Jesus was appointed to replace Roberto Martinez following Portugal’s World Cup exit. The former Al-Nassr coach is familiar with Ronaldo, having worked with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in Saudi Arabia, where they won the league title last season.
However, Jesus made it clear that Ronaldo would not receive preferential treatment under his management.
“All the called-up players are at my disposal; if he performs well, he plays. If he doesn’t perform well, he doesn’t play. That’s how I treat everyone,” Jesus told reporters.
Ronaldo remains the leading scorer in men’s international football with 146 goals and is also pursuing the landmark of 1,000 career goals. He currently has 979 goals across club and international football.
Jesus believes Ronaldo is more likely to reach the milestone while playing for Al-Nassr than with the Portugal national team.
“I think he’s more likely to score his thousandth goal for Al-Nassr than for the Portuguese national team,” Jesus said.
Portugal will open their Nations League campaign at home against Wales on September 24 before travelling to face Norway three days later.
The team will then visit Denmark on October 1 before hosting Norway on October 4.
Portugal Squad
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Rui Silva, Samuel Soares
Defenders: Goncalo Inacio, Renato Veiga, Ruben Dias, Tomas Araujo, Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Nuno Tavares, Nuno Mendes
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Joao Palhinha, Ruben Neves, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Fabio Silva, Trincao, Francisco Conceicao, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leao
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