Ronaldo's Portugal career goes on with 41-year-old included in Jorge Jesus' first squad

[p]In August, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Ronaldo[/a] fuelled speculation about his retirement plans after saying the ‌coming year would probably be the last of his playing career.[/p][p]The 41-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] ‌captain and five-time Ballon d'Or winner was unable to add a World Cup title to his list of honours in the summer after Portugal were knocked ‌out in the last 16 by eventual champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]⁠Spain[/a], leaving the sport's biggest ‌prize absent from his trophy cabinet.[/p][p]He confirmed in July that the 2026 ​World Cup would be his last, but he was unwilling to make a hasty call on his international ​future.[/p][p][b]"His performance is what matters. The past doesn't count," [/b]Jorge Jesus told a press conference on Friday.[/p][p]"In this squad, there are 13 ⁠players who have worked ​with me. I don't have a set core, so within this group, there were several players who were important for this squad.[/p][p][b]"Cris is a player like any other. If he performs, he plays; ‌if not, he doesn't. He has a different status - he has five Ballon d'Or awards - but does that factor into my decisions? No. However, the fact that he is different is."[/b][/p][p]Jesus will make his debut as Portugal manager against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wales/YcUP0Nqp/"]Wales[/a] at home on September 24. Portugal then travel to face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/0KUdxQVi/"]Denmark[/a] on September 27 and October 1 respectively, before hosting Norway on October 4.[/p][p]Portugal appointed the 72-year-old former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/al-nassr/h4I89ZuE/"]Al Nassr[/a] boss - who coached Ronaldo at the Saudi club - in July, ‌days after Spaniard Roberto Martinez stepped down following the country's World ​Cup exit.[/p][h2]Portugal squad[/h2][embed guid="e4e1008f-4f8e-47af-a88e-00f633dd2b2e" url="https://x.com/selecaoportugal/status/2100913877282132383/history" social-type="twitter" /][p]Goalkeepers: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diogo-costa/hC31Ab0c/"]Diogo Costa[/a] (Porto), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silva-rui/GErUsMSq/"]Rui Silva[/a] (Sporting), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/soares-samuel/vJCWLDMd/"]Samuel Soares[/a] (Benfica)[/p][p]Defenders: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/goncalo-inacio/0vh9xYsD/"]Goncalo ‌Inacio[/a] (Sporting), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cancelo-joao/dAyeWYpm/"]Joao Cancelo[/a] (Barcelona), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dalot-diogo/rZZKJVOS/"]Diogo Dalot[/a] (Manchester United), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tavares-nuno/pY6E7S2D/"]Nuno Tavares[/a] (Lazio), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendes-nuno/ne2xCTJj/"]Nuno Mendes[/a] (Paris St Germain), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/veiga-renato/r1cX4e0d/"]Renato Veiga[/a] (Villarreal), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dias-ruben/OpVD3nmU/"]Ruben Dias[/a] (Manchester City), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/araujo-tomas/jHAm0zFF/"]Tomas Araujo[/a] (Benfica)[/p][p]Midfielders: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandes-bruno/GYvAMDm2/"]Bruno Fernandes[/a] (Manchester United), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palhinha-joao/vFArGMai/"]Joao Palhinha[/a] (Benfica), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neves-joao/hCbYVsXQ/"]Joao Neves[/a] (Paris St Germain), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neves-ruben/Ea90ReE4/"]Ruben Neves[/a] (Al Hilal), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vitinha/Sz9SH7zj/"]Vitinha[/a] (Paris St Germain), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silva-bernardo/lUg03qcR/"]Bernardo Silva[/a] (Real Madrid)[/p][p]Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silva-fabio/YaEnqMoU/"]Fabio Silva[/a] (Borussia ⁠Dortmund), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trincao/vmYemyQS/"]Francisco Trincao[/a] (Al Ahli), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chico-conceicao/n53v4sSd/"]Francisco Conceicao[/a] (Juventus), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ramos-goncalo/xfW2M1Tt/"]⁠Goncalo Ramos[/a] (AC Milan), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-felix/KI3YXMhi/"]Joao ‌Felix[/a] (Al Nassr), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neto-pedro/lxtnUkIP/"]Pedro Neto[/a] (Chelsea), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leao-rafael/AqOPWN5s/"]Rafael Leao[/a] (Galatasaray)[/p]