As a result, he will not compete for friendlies against Mexico on March 28 at the renovated Azteca Stadium and against the United States of America on March 31 in Atlanta.
The coach of Portugal, Roberto Martinez, reassured the fans, saying that Ronaldo’s performance at the World Cup, a record sixth for him, is not in jeopardy.
“No, he’s not in danger,” Martinez said Friday when the 27-man roster was announced.
“It is a minor muscle injury and we believe he will be back in a week or two. Everything Cristiano has achieved physically this season shows that he is in great shape.”
Ronaldo, the top scorer in the men’s national team’s history with 143 goals, also missed Portugal’s final match of 2025, a 9-1 win over Armenia in a World Cup qualifier on November 16, due to the suspension.
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP).
Defensive players: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Gonçalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), António Silva (SL Benfica), Tomás Araújo (SL Benfica).
Midfielders: Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Rúben Neves (Al Hilal), Samú Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), João Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto).
Strikers: Ricardo Horta (SC Braga), Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting CP), João Félix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG).
(Vijesti.ba)
