Roberto Martínez, coach of the Portuguese national team, firmly states that there will be no privileged players in the 2026 World Cup.
On 11 June 2026, the Portuguese national team is set to play their first match in Group K of the 2026 World Cup on 18 June at 00:00 against the DR Congo national team.
Nevertheless, the squad still includes Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old star striker, as usual. "CR7" has scored 8 goals across five World Cup appearances, the most in Portuguese national team history.
Recently, Roberto Martínez, coach of the Portuguese national team, confirmed that no player will be given privileged status as a guaranteed starter.
"In modern football, there is no monopoly on the starting eleven. Portugal arrives at the 2026 World Cup with 26 players capable of helping the team. We have plans prepared for the match against Congo. The team has options for competition, and the starting eleven will be decided before the match day. Anyone who thinks I already have a fixed starting lineup is mistaken."