Connect with us

Sports

Portugal’s 2026 World Cup Squad Named

Published

on


Roberto Martinez has revealed his final Portugal squad for the 2026 World Cup, as the European nation look to win the tournament for the first time in their history.

Portugal are among the favourites to go all the way and lift the famous trophy, hopeful that they can banish the recent history of falling short when it really matters.

In Qatar four years ago, the Portuguese squad made it all the way to the World Cup quarter-finals – their second-best finish behind a third-place medal in 1966 – but it was shrouded in disappointment with the surprise exit to Morocco.

With the squad looking to shake that frustration, North America awaits, with group stage games against DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia coming up.

Goalkeepers

Diogo Costa applauding after a win for Portugal

Diogo Costa looks set to continue his role as the number one for Portugal, having already racked up over 40 caps for his country at the age of just 26.

Beyond the Porto shot-stopper there is experience, with Jose Sa and Rui Silva set to back him up, in the event of needing to call upon another goalkeeper. Ricardo Velho has been announced as the squad’s 27th player for training purposes.

Player

Club

Age

Diogo Costa

Porto

26

Jose Sa

Wolves

33

Rui Silva

Sporting CP

32

Ricardo Velho

Braga

27

Defenders

Manchester United's Diogo Dalot looks exasperated

The Portugal backline has plenty of familiar faces, with Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Ruben Dias, and Nuno Mendes among those who have been at the top of the game for some while now.

Beyond them are some promising young options, with Antonio Silva and Renato Veiga among those who could announce themselves on the world stage.

Player

Club

Age

Joao Cancelo

Al-Hilal

31

Diogo Dalot

Manchester United

27

Ruben Dias

Manchester City

29

Goncalo Inacio

Sporting CP

24

Nuno Mendes

PSG

23

Renato Veiga

Villarreal

22

Matheus Nunes

Manchester City

27

Nelson Semedo

Fenerbahce

32

Tomas Araujo

Benfica

24

Midfielders

Bruno Fernandes in Premier League action for Manchester United

The Portugal midfield is stacked with talent, with a mixture of players hitting their peak and youngsters who are showing plenty of quality and potential for the future.

Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva are two leaders in the engine room who will be looking to drag the team forward, while the likes of Vitinha and Joao Neves could add something extra to keep them ticking.


bruno fernandes-1


Bruno Fernandes Names Current England Star He Wishes Played for Man Utd

Big praise from the Premier League ace.

Player

Club

Age

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

31

Joao Neves

PSG

21

Bernardo Silva

Manchester City

31

Vitinha

PSG

26

Ruben Neves

Al-Hilal

29

Samu Costa

Mallorca

25

Forwards

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo features in what is almost certainly set to be his final World Cup appearance, as the 41-year-old goes in search of the trophy that has eluded him his whole career.

He is joined by some strong forwards around him, with Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, and Goncalo Ramos all featuring in the squad.

Player

Club

Age

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al-Nassr

41

Rafael Leao

AC Milan

26

Pedro Neto

Chelsea

26

Francisco Conceicao

Juventus

23

Joao Felix

Al-Nassr

26

Goncalo Guedes

Real Sociedad

29

Goncalo Ramos

PSG

24

Francisco Trincao

Sporting

26

Reacting to the squad announcement, Portuguese football writer Tom Kundert wrote on X (Twitter): “Pretty much Portugal’s expected squad.

“Players unlucky to miss out: João Palhinha, Paulinho, Ricardo Horta, António Silva, Pedro Gonçalves

“Half surprises: Nelson Semedo (5 full-backs?), Samu Costa (rewarded for strong March friendlies), Goncalo Guedes.”

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

New Footage Shows Lisandro Martinez ‘Struck’ a Spain Player

Published

on

By


Ugly scenes marred the closing moments of the World Cup final, as tempers boiled over between Argentina and Spain players on the pitch once the full-time whistle blew.

Players and coaches from both camps got involved in an attempt to defuse everything, with a host of separate incidents taking place over the course of three minutes.

Several individual moments have already drawn scrutiny in the days since, with clips of the chaos spreading rapidly across social media and prompting FIFA to launch an investigation into Argentina’s conduct.

Now, a new angle of a specific incident has emerged online, and it appears to show one of the ugliest moments of the entire meltdown.

Lisandro Martinez’s Unceremonious Statement Causes Backlash

Lisandro Martinez after the World Cup final REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

In the aftermath, defender Lisandro Martinez posted a message on social media, leading fans to brand him and Argentina “so unlikeable,” before calling them the worst sort of losers in decades:

“With a heavy heart for not having been able to bring home the cup that we all deserved, but with pride bursting at the seams for this jersey, for my teammates, the coaching staff, the executives, the medical team, the cooks, the kit men, and every single person who was involved to make all of this work in the best possible way.”

He continued: “I want to congratulate Spain on their well-deserved title. We defended our colours far beyond the pitch and shared unforgettable moments with the National Team, alongside our families and with the unwavering support of all Argentinians.

“Remember that ‘the fall of the great is the joy of the mediocre’.”

“Thank you all so much. Let’s take care of our country. I love you, Argentina!”

Lisandro Martinez injury REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

The freshly surfaced clip appears to show Martinez himself getting physically involved, with footage suggesting the Manchester United defender ‘punched’ Spain midfielder Gavi in the face.

The moment came after Leandro Paredes threw the 20-year-old Barcelona man to the ground, which had already caused enough chaos in itself.

See the incident between Lisandro Martinez and Gavi below:

With the video gaining traction online, scrutiny on Argentina’s conduct after the final looks set to intensify further, adding yet another unwanted moment to an already chaotic post-match scene.

You scored

out of 20

Continue Reading

Sports

10 English Clubs With the Most Fan Arrests in the 2025/26 Season

Published

on

By


Police in England and Wales are pushing for extra funding to help manage matchday disorder, and the case for it just got stronger.

According to the Home Office, arrestable incidents were logged at 1,644 fixtures in England and Wales during the 2025-26 season, the highest total recorded since the UK Football Policing Unit began tracking the figures in 2017-18.

Fees correct prior to summer 2026

All 10 found — excellent!

Now, a full breakdown of football fan arrests by club for the season has been released, and the numbers make for uncomfortable reading.

Some of the country’s biggest Premier League clubs feature prominently on the list, and the gap between several of them is narrow, painting a picture of an issue that isn’t confined to any one corner of the game. Here’s how every club in the top ten compares.

10. Tottenham Hotspur – 52 arrests

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium general view

Spurs round out the bottom of the list with 52 football-related arrests across the 2025/26 season. Not the number any club wants to have attached to their name, but being the best of a bad bunch in this situation isn’t something to shout about.

9. Liverpool – 52 arrests

Anfield

Liverpool are tied with Tottenham on 52 arrests, but edge higher due to the larger number of banning orders among their fans. For a club with one of the largest travelling fanbases in the country, it’s a figure that will raise concerns despite sitting at the lower end of this list.

8. Portsmouth – 55 arrests

Portsmouth Fans Action Images/Paul Childs

Portsmouth’s inclusion stands out as they are one of only two clubs outside the Premier League’s usual big-city clubs to feature prominently, with 55 arrests recorded over the season.

7. Leeds United – 59 arrests

Elland Road-1

Leeds United’s return to the top-flight has come with 59 football-related arrests, a reminder of the intensity that runs through the club’s fans regardless of division.

6. Everton – 62 arrests

Hill Dickinson Stadium Jason Cairnduff via Reuters

Everton sit on 10 more arrests than Liverpool with 62, meaning the two Merseyside clubs combine for 114 arrests when their respective stadiums sit less than two miles apart.

5. Millwall – 63 arrests

the den millwall

Millwall’s reputation precedes them at times, and 63 arrests this season keep that narrative alive, placing them fifth on the list. With bitter rivals West Ham now playing Championship football next season, this number could easily inflate for Millwall by this time next year, as well as see West Ham enter the list, who currently hold the most banning orders of any club in England and Wales (121).

4. Arsenal – 66 arrests

Premier League title shown with Arsenal ribbons of red and white

Titleholders Arsenal racked up 66 arrests, reflecting the scale of their fanbase and the number of high-profile fixtures they’ve been involved in across the last season, both in the Premier League and Champions League.

3. Manchester United – 67 arrests

Old Trafford

Manchester United sit third with 67 arrests, a figure that comes as little surprise given the size and reach of their support both home and away, with almost 18% of their fanbase coming from London.

2. Chelsea – 76 arrests

Chelsea flag

Chelsea take second spot, and with it the most in London with 76 arrests, some way clear of Man Utd, but still miles behind the club at the very top of this list.

1. Manchester City – 102 arrests

Etihad Stadium Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Manchester City top the table by some distance, with 102 football-related arrests recorded across the 2025-26 season, well over a third more than second-placed Chelsea. To make matters worse for City, the club also sit behind West Ham in second overall for the most banning orders racked up, with 86.

Rank

Club

Football-Related Fan Arrests (2025-26)

1

Manchester City

102

2

Chelsea

76

3

Manchester United

67

4

Arsenal

66

5

Millwall

63

6

Everton

62

7

Leeds United

59

8

Portsmouth

55

9

Liverpool

52

10

Tottenham Hotspur

52

Continue Reading

Sports

The Truth About Barcola to Liverpool + Argentina Reaction to World Cup Final

Published

on

By



Olivia Buzaglo and Ben Jacobs are live with the latest edition of Market Madness, bringing you breaking transfer news, expert insight and all the biggest talking points from across football.

Continue Reading

Trending