Sports
Portugal’s 2026 World Cup Squad Named
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 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
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
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 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 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.”
Sports
New Footage Shows Lisandro Martinez ‘Struck’ a Spain Player
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
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!”
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.
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Sports
10 English Clubs With the Most Fan Arrests in the 2025/26 Season
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
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
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’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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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 |
Sports
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