Jorge Jesus announced his first squad as Portugal head coach on 18 September 2026. The list includes 25 players for the team's first four matches in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, from 24 September to 4 October. The four additions compared with the group that went to the 2026 World Cup are Samuel Soares, Nuno Tavares, João Palhinha and Fábio Silva. Cristiano Ronaldo remains in the squad.
Portugal's 25-player squad by position
Goalkeepers
- Diogo Costa
- Rui Silva
- Samuel Soares
Defenders
- Diogo Dalot
- João Cancelo
- Gonçalo Inácio
- Rúben Dias
- Renato Veiga
- Nuno Mendes
- Tomás Araújo
- Nuno Tavares
Midfielders
- Rúben Neves
- João Neves
- Vitinha
- Bruno Fernandes
- Bernardo Silva
- João Palhinha
Forwards
- João Félix
- Francisco Trincão
- Francisco Conceição
- Pedro Neto
- Rafael Leão
- Gonçalo Ramos
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Fábio Silva
The list above matches the 25 names published by RTP with information from Lusa and is consistent with confirmations issued by clubs whose players were selected.
Who are the four additions in Jorge Jesus' first squad?
In this context, “additions” refers to the four players who were not part of Portugal's group at the final stage of the 2026 World Cup and are now included in Jorge Jesus' first squad. It does not mean that all four are making their senior national team debut.
- Samuel Soares: Benfica goalkeeper.
- Nuno Tavares: Lazio defender.
- João Palhinha: Benfica midfielder.
- Fábio Silva: Borussia Dortmund forward.
According to the published comparison with the World Cup squad, José Sá, Nélson Semedo, Matheus Nunes, Samu Costa and Gonçalo Guedes are not included this time. The core of the squad has therefore been largely retained, with changes across all areas of the team.
Portugal's Nations League schedule from 24 September to 4 October
| Date | Match | Venue | Mainland Portugal time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/09/2026 | Portugal vs Wales | Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon | 19:45 |
| 27/09/2026 | Norway vs Portugal | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo | 19:45 |
| 01/10/2026 | Denmark vs Portugal | Parken, Copenhagen | 19:45 |
| 04/10/2026 | Portugal vs Norway | Estádio do Dragão, Porto | 19:45 |
UEFA confirms this sequence of four Group A4 fixtures. Benfica, when announcing the call-ups of its players, also detailed the stadiums and stated that all four matches in this window kick off at 19:45 mainland Portugal time.
What to watch in this first international window
The four matches are packed into 11 days. Beyond Jorge Jesus' initial selections, squad workload management and possible rotation will therefore be important points to watch between the opener against Wales, the trips to Norway and Denmark, and the return meeting with Norway in Porto. Those possible rotations are a consequence to monitor in the schedule, not a decision already announced by the coach.
For the original information, see the RTP squad report based on Lusa information, Portugal's UEFA match schedule and Benfica's confirmation of times and venues.
