LISBON (AP) 鈥� Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make a record sixth World Cup appearance after being included in Portugal’s squad for the tournament on Tuesday, and coach Roberto Mart铆nez said the late Diogo Jota will be on everyone’s minds when the team tries to win soccer’s showcase event for the first time.
The 28-year-old Jota, a regular in Portugal’s squad, was killed in a car crash in Spain last year.
Mart铆nez picked the 41-year-old Ronaldo and 26 other players to try to give Portugal its first World Cup title.
It will likely be Ronaldo’s final attempt at winning soccer’s most coveted trophy. It will be his first World Cup since he left elite soccer in Europe to play in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo and his great rival Lionel Messi of Argentina could become the first men to play in six World Cups.
Ronaldo is the all-time leader in appearances (226) and goals (143) for a men鈥檚 national team. He is also the only man to have scored in five World Cups.
Ronaldo told CNN in November that this one 鈥渄efinitely鈥� would be his last World Cup.
Also included in the list were Ronaldo’s Al Nassr teammate Jo茫o F茅lix, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes. Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Jo茫o Neves and Gon莽alo Ramos also made the list.
Mart铆nez selected four goalkeepers to his squad.
Portugal is in Group K along with Colombia, Uzbekistan and Congo. Portugal opens against Congo on June 17 in Houston.
___
Portugal squad:
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jos茅 S谩 (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Ricardo Velho ( Gen莽lerbirli臒i)
Defenders: R煤ben Dias (Manchester City), Jo茫o Cancelo (Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), N茅lson Semedo (Fenerbahce), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Gon莽alo In谩cio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tom谩s Ara煤jo (Benfica)
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Vitinha (PSG), Jo茫o Neves (PSG), R煤ben Neves (Al Hilal), Sam煤 Costa (Mallorca)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Rafael Le茫o (AC Milan), Jo茫o F茅lix (Al Nassr), Gon莽alo Ramos (PSG), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Concei莽茫o (Juventus), Gon莽alo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Francisco Trinc茫o (Sporting Lisbon).
___
AP World Cup coverage:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
