Portugal has never won a World Cup. For a country that has produced so much football talent, that fact has always stung. They’ve reached the semifinals, won a European Championship, and sent some of the most gifted players of their generation to every major tournament.
But the one thing that would complete the story has always been just out of reach. This summer, under manager Roberto Martínez and with Cristiano Ronaldo in tow, they may finally have the squad to change that.
Here are my takeaways:
1. This One Is For Diogo
A memorial for Diogo Jota is seen on a screen in the stands at one of Portugal’s World Cup qualifier match. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
Before anything else, this has to be said.
Diogo Jota died on July 3, 2025, alongside his younger brother Andre Silva in a car accident in Spain. He was 11 days married, had three young children, and had just helped Portugal win the Nations League. He was one of the most beloved figures in Portuguese football. Every player in that squad announcement this morning knows what this tournament means in the context of what happened last July. Ruben Neves, one of Jota’s closest friends and a pallbearer at his funeral, wrote: “When I go to the national team, you’ll still be by my side at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane.” Portugal will carry his memory to every game.
2. Ronaldo Is Here. But Bruno Fernandes Is The Story.
Bruno Fernandes will be key in the attack. (Photo by Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
For Cristiano Ronaldo, this will be his sixth World Cup. That would be a men’s World Cup record only matched should Argentina’s Lionel Messi also play this summer. Unlike Messi, Ronaldo still needs to win this tournament. At 41, Ronaldo has scored 28 goals for Al Nassr this season and will look to add to his all-time men’s national team records in appearances (226) and goals (143).
But while Ronaldo remains the face of this Portugal team, Bruno Fernandes is arguably the most important player. At 31, the Manchester United star finished the 2025-26 Premier League season as the league’s best chance creator by a considerable margin. When Portugal needs someone to unlock a defense or take responsibility in a tough moment, it falls to Bruno now. The sooner the wider football world accepts this transition, the better they’ll understand how this team actually works.
3. The Midfield Is the Best In The Tournament. Yes, The Whole Tournament.
Vitinha and João Neves are among the world’s best midfielders (Getty Images)
Make your case for Spain. Make your case for France. I’ll hear you out, sure. But Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and João Neves (21 years old and already looking like he’s been doing this for a decade) form a midfield trio as good as any team in North America will field this summer. The PSG pair of Vitinha and Neves have already won a Champions League trophy together.
Vitinha controls tempo the way very few midfielders in world football can. Neves presses, intercepts and covers more ground than seems physically possible. Bruno operates just ahead of them as the creative force that ties it all together. If Portugal goes deep into this tournament, and they should, this engine room will be the reason why.
4. The Attack Is Glittering And Unresolved
Portugal’s collection of playmakers includes AC Milan’s Rafael Leão. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
Here is Portugal’s one tension, and it’s worth being honest about it. On paper, the attacking options are fantastic: Ronaldo, Rafael Leão, Pedro Neto, João Félix, Bernardo Silva, Gonçalo Ramos, Francisco Conceição. The question Martínez may have to resolve is whether to reduce Ronaldo’s role to impact substitute if he is to get the best from the rest of his attack.
That is not a slight on Ronaldo. It is simply the reality of managing a 41-year-old across a five-week tournament. In Portugal, the national sentiment seems split on whether Ronaldo should start or be an impact sub. Get it wrong and Portugal will have wasted the best midfield in the tournament. At that point, no amount of Ronaldo romance will save the narrative.
