Portugal’s new head coach is set to unveil his first squad on Friday afternoon at the Cidade do Futebol training centre in Oeiras, his first competitive step since taking the job in July.
Jorge Jesus inherits a team that has to defend a trophy. Portugal beat Spain on penalties in June 2025 to win the Nations League for the second time, and the title defence opens at home to Wales on 24 September at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon, with an away trip to Norway three days later.
Jesus took the job on a four-year deal running to the 2030 World Cup, signed after Roberto Martinez stepped down when Portugal were knocked out of the North American World Cup by Spain in the round of 16.
The farewell rumour is a report, not a decision
The louder question hanging over the opener is what Cristiano Ronaldo does with it. A report by Goal’s Moataz Elgammal, citing an unnamed Portuguese agent, claims the 41-year-old captain will call time on his international career after the Wales and Norway fixtures. Neither Ronaldo nor the Portuguese Football Federation has confirmed those plans.
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Ronaldo has previously said any exit will be his own to script.
“When I leave the national team, I won’t tell anyone in advance, and it will be a very spontaneous decision on my part,” he said in August 2024.
He has 233 caps and 146 goals, both world records for a men’s international footballer, with Euro 2016 and Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025 on his honours list.
Jesus keeps the door open
The coach has been clear he sees no reason to close it.
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“[He] is never going to be a problem for the national team. Not for the national team, nor for me,” Jesus said on his appointment.
“As long as he’s playing and is in a condition to be selected, I will pick him, within certain limits and under the conditions that I consider best for the national team.”
The longer project is different. In a late-August audit of his in-tray, Jesus’s remit was framed as building an attack that no longer depends on the player who has carried it for more than two decades. Bruno Fernandes, Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Diogo Costa remain the senior spine, with João Neves and Vitinha the midfield Jesus is expected to build around.
What the Portuguese press expects on Friday
Portuguese media expect Ronaldo to be picked, with Diogo Costa fixed as first-choice goalkeeper. Rafael Leão, Francisco Trincão and Gonçalo Guedes are reported to be under pressure over club form, potentially opening the door for Gonçalo Paciência, Fábio Silva and André Silva. Jesus has said his selection will not stray far from Martinez’s World Cup group, with two or three fresh names added.
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Wales, promoted from League B, complete Group A4 alongside Norway and Denmark. Kick-off in Lisbon on 24 September is at 7:45pm local time.
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