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Ronaldo, 41, leads Portugal into World Cup

Ronaldo, 41, leads Portugal into World Cup

He is set to feature at a record sixth World Cup

Veteran Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo will lead his country into the 2026 World Cup this summer after coach Roberto Martinez named the 41-year-old in his squad on Tuesday.

The former Real Madrid. Manchester United star, now at Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, is set to appear at a record sixth World Cup.

Portugal and Ronaldo, the all-time leading men's international goalscorer with 143 goals, have never won the competition.

Ronaldo could face former Barcelona rival Lionel Messi. who is also set to play at a sixth World Cup after leading Argentina to glory four years ago in Qatar.

The Portuguese forward avoided a three-match ban despite being sent off against the Republic of Ireland in their last qualifying match for an elbow.

Spanish coach Martinez selected a 27-man squad with no major surprises, including Ronaldo's Al-Nassr team-mate Joao Felix.

Paris Saint-Germain stars Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes. Goncalo Ramos are also included, along with Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes and a contingent from Manchester City, including Bernardo Silva.

In the run-up to the tournament Portugal will face Chile. Nigeria in friendlies, before their World Cup campaign begins against DR Congo on June 17.

Portugal will also face Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K on June 23 and 27 respectively.

Portugal 27-man squad list:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves/ENG), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Ricardo Velho (Genclerbirligi/TUR)

Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG). Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce/TUR), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona/ESP), Nuno Mendes (PSG/FRA), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villareal/ESP), Tomas Araujo (Benfica).

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Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609038/ronaldo-41-leads-portugal-into-world-cup

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