Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of the squad for upcoming pre World Cup friendlies against tournament co hosts Mexico and the United States due to a minor hamstring injury. The 41 year old has not featured for his Saudi club Al Nassr since the end of February but Portugal coach Roberto Martinez confirmed Ronaldo’s participation at what would be a record sixth World Cup is not at risk.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Martinez described the injury as minor and said Ronaldo could return within one or two weeks. He added that the forward remains in excellent physical condition and that the centre forward role at the World Cup will be shared between Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos, with the team still seeking a third striker with a different profile.
Portugal will face Mexico on Saturday March 28 in Mexico City and then take on the United States three days later in Atlanta. Martinez described the matches as the final opportunity to experiment ahead of naming the official World Cup squad.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup co hosted by the United States Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 Portugal have been drawn in Group K with Colombia and Uzbekistan. The fourth team will emerge from a play off involving New Caledonia Jamaica or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ronaldo’s absence opens the door for other forwards in the squad including Joao Felix, Francisco Trincao, Rafael Leao, and others who will compete for starting positions alongside Goncalo Ramos.
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