Portugal’s New Leadership: Seven Fresh Faces and Five Captains After Ronaldo

Jorge Jesus opened Portugal’s post-Cristiano Ronaldo chapter on Friday with a clear signal of renewal: a 28-player Nations League squad that includes seven fresh names, two first-time senior call-ups and a captaincy group no longer defined by the country’s all-time great.

The list was confirmed at a midday press conference at Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras — 12:00 Lisbon time, 7:00 a.m. Ecuador — for the final Group A4 matches against Denmark in Braga on Nov. 14 and Wales in Cardiff on Nov. 17. Portugal have already secured a quarterfinal place with four wins from four. One more point would lock up first place in the group.

Thursday’s retirement — covered separately by El Futbolero — closed Ronaldo’s 234-cap, 146-goal Portugal career. Friday’s story is who Jesus trusts next, who is in for the first time, and who was left out.

Relative to Jesus’ previous selection, the newcomers are Porto full-back Alberto Costa, Bournemouth center-back António Silva, Tottenham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, Club Brugge forward Carlos Forbs, Chelsea winger Geovany Quenda, Roma attacker Rodrigo Mora and Monza striker Gustavo Varela.

Costa and Varela receive their first senior Portugal call-ups. Mora and Quenda had already been around the senior camp under former coach Roberto Martínez without earning a cap; both now get another chance. Jesus framed the changes as form-driven, pointing to club performances that match what he wants from the national team.

He called Varela the leading scorer in Italy’s top flight and praised Costa’s progress at Porto. On Quenda, Jesus said he liked the winger’s recent start against Tottenham and wants young players adapting to his ideas.

The full party: goalkeepers Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting) and Samuel Soares (Benfica); defenders João Cancelo (Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Alberto Costa (Porto), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomás Araújo (Benfica), António Silva (Bournemouth) and Nuno Tavares (Lazio); midfielders Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal), João Palhinha (Benfica), Mateus Fernandes (Tottenham), João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) and Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid); forwards Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Rodrigo Mora (Roma), Francisco Trincão (Al-Ahli), Rafael Leão (Galatasaray), Geovany Quenda (Chelsea), Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge), João Félix (Al-Nassr), Gonçalo Ramos (Milan), Fábio Silva (Borussia Dortmund) and Gustavo Varela (Monza).

Jesus explained the expanded 28-man list in practical terms: seven players are one yellow card from a suspension that could rule them out of Wales or the quarterfinals, so depth for this double-header matters.

Ronaldo’s absence is the headline change, but not the only one. Francisco Conceição is serving a three-match UEFA suspension after his red card against Norway. Paris Saint-Germain left-back Nuno Mendes is out injured. Sporting defender Gonçalo Inácio was dropped on a technical decision.

Jesus said he still expected to call Ronaldo until Thursday’s video landed. “I found out when we all did,” he told reporters at Cidade do Futebol. He added that he had not contacted the forward afterward and that there is “no hard feeling,” insisting every call was made for the team.

Before Jesus spoke, Portuguese FA president Pedro Proença opened the session with a tribute. “No tribute will ever be enough to thank him for everything he has done for Portuguese football, for Portugal,” Proença said, promising that the federation will honor Ronaldo’s legacy. “Thank you for everything, captain. This is and always will be your home.”

On leadership, Jesus said Portugal does not have the coach pick a single armband successor by preference. Captaincy follows international appearances. After Ronaldo, he named five: Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, João Cancelo, Rúben Neves and Bruno Fernandes — noting he had previously worked with all five at club level.

Denmark at Estádio Municipal de Braga and Wales at Cardiff City Stadium close the group phase. Portugal’s perfect record already guarantees a last-eight place; the remaining job is to seal top spot and blood a broader squad.

Friday’s list does not recycle a World Cup roster named months earlier. Jesus brought in club form, protected against suspension risk, outlined a caps-based captaincy chain and left the Ronaldo tribute to Proença.

For readers following Portugal into November, the verified story is here: 28 players, seven newcomers, Costa and Varela as first-time seniors, Conceição and Mendes unavailable, Inácio out of favor, and a leadership group headed by Bernardo Silva’s generation. The next answers will come in Braga and Cardiff.