Cristiano Ronaldo leads Jorge Jesus’ first Portugal squad for Nations League

Jorge Jesus has named his first Portugal squad since taking charge of the national team, with Cristiano Ronaldo included for the September Nations League fixtures.

Jesus replaced Roberto Martinez as Portugal manager after Martinez was dismissed following the team’s elimination from the World Cup in the last 16.

Portugal were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the round of 16, with Mikel Merino scoring the only goal of the match.

Ronaldo is the most prominent inclusion in Jesus’ selection, which also features Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Paris Saint-Germain forward Joao Neves.

Portugal’s squad is:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Samuel Soares (Benfica).

Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Tomas Araujo (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Nuno Tavares (Lazio).

Midfielders: Joao Palhinha (Benfica), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United).

Forwards: Francisco Conceicao (Juventus), Francisco Trincao (Al-Ahli), Rafael Leao (Galatasaray), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Goncalo Ramos (Milan), Fabio Silva (Borussia Dortmund).

The squad includes 26 players, with Ronaldo retained as Portugal prepare for a demanding sequence of Nations League matches.

Jesus will oversee meetings with Wales, two fixtures against Norway and a game against Denmark during the September international period.

The appointment marks the start of a new era for Portugal after Martinez’s departure. The Spanish coach had been removed from his position following the World Cup defeat by Spain, who progressed after Merino’s decisive strike.

Jesus’ first selection combines experienced players such as Ronaldo, Silva, Fernandes and Dias with younger members of the squad, including Benfica goalkeeper Samuel Soares, defender Tomas Araujo and midfielder Joao Neves.

Portugal’s attacking options also include players based across several major European leagues and Saudi Arabia, with Joao Felix and Ronaldo both selected from Al-Nassr, while Ruben Neves represents Al-Hilal.

The team’s preparations will centre on the Nations League programme, with Jesus given his first opportunity to assess the group in competitive fixtures since succeeding Martinez.