Jorge Jesus names 25-man Portugal squad for Nations League, recalling Palhinha and retaining Ronaldo

Managerial debut and squad announcement

Jorge Jesus announced his first squad as Portugal national team manager on Friday during a press conference at Cidade do Futebol. The former club coach, who officially succeeded Roberto Martínez on 10 July 2026 following the World Cup, selected 25 players from an initial 46-player preliminary list. Jesus declined to adopt the larger squad models used by other national coaches, arguing that carrying excessive numbers into a two-week camp lacked operational logic. The selection maintains the core of Portugal's tournament squad from North America while adjusting tactical profiles across all four outfield sectors. The squad features three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders, and eight forwards for the upcoming UEFA Nations League group stage fixtures.

Roster modifications and defensive choices

The 25-man squad introduces four players who were absent from the 2026 World Cup: goalkeeper Samuel Soares, left-back Nuno Tavares, midfielder João Palhinha, and forward Fábio Silva. Jesus previously worked with Soares, Tavares, and Palhinha during his club career, leaving Silva as the only newcomer unfamiliar with his direct methods. The manager emphasized that the younger call-ups represent the team's long-term future leading up to 2030 based on their current club form. To accommodate the additions, Jesus dropped several World Cup veterans, including José Sá, Nélson Semedo, Samu Costa, Matheus Nunes, and Gonçalo Guedes. Defender António Silva was also omitted, with Jesus opting for four central defenders to maintain defensive consistency.

Except for Fábio Silva, he was the only one who did not work with me. Samuel, João Palhinha and Nuno Tavares already know me and I already know them.

Tactical structure and Ronaldo's role

Addressing tactical expectations, Jesus explained his preference for a tactical system built around a second striker rather than a traditional third central midfielder. He pointed to attacking options such as João Félix, Bruno Fernandes, Francisco Trincão, and Rafael Leão as players capable of adapting to the secondary forward role. Cristiano Ronaldo was retained in the 25-man roster, with Jesus affirming that every selected player remains available for selection across the congested fixture period. The manager noted that player fitness would be evaluated after every match to determine rotation before addressing expectations surrounding Ronaldo's pursuit of 1,000 career goals.

I believe more that he has to do it at Al-Nassr than in the Portuguese national team.

Scouting preparations and Nations League schedule

In the two months preceding the announcement, Jesus attended at least 11 live matches alongside federation directors Lourenço Coelho and João Pinto. Jesus travelled to Madrid to observe Bernardo Silva in person while sending assistant coaches to scout the Manchester derby featuring Bruno Fernandes and Rúben Dias. Additional staff members were dispatched to Saudi Arabia to evaluate Ronaldo, João Félix, Rúben Neves, and Francisco Trincão. Portugal will contest four Group A matches in ten days, starting against Wales at Estádio José Alvalade on 24 September at 19:45. The team then travels to face Norway in Oslo on 27 September, visits Denmark in Copenhagen on 1 October, and concludes the window against Norway at Estádio do Dragão on 4 October.