Portugal's World Cup Countdown Begins in Atlanta, With Ronaldo Recovering and a New Generation Auditioning

Portugal's senior squad gathered in Lisbon this week before flying to North America for the final pre-World Cup international window. On Saturday, they face Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Three days later, on March 31, they play the United States in Atlanta. These are the last friendlies before Roberto Martinez names his definitive World Cup squad.

The headline, inevitably, is the absence. Cristiano Ronaldo is not on the plane.

What Happened to Ronaldo

The 41-year-old Al Nassr forward has been nursing a hamstring injury sustained in late February. Martinez was direct about it: the injury is minor, the captain is expected back within two weeks, and his place at the World Cup is not in question.

"Everything Cristiano has done physically this season shows that he's in great shape," Martinez said at the squad announcement on March 20. "At the World Cup, the centre-forward position will be for Cristiano Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos. We are looking for a third striker with a different profile."

Also absent are Manchester City's Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, rested to manage workload, and Rafael Leao and Rodrigo Mora, who withdrew with injuries after the initial call-up. Toluca's Paulinho — who has not featured for Portugal since November 2020 — was drafted in as a late replacement, a surprise that raised eyebrows among Portuguese football commentators.

The New Faces

The squad is notable for its youth and the breadth of clubs represented. West Ham's Mateus Fernandes earns his first senior call-up after 18 appearances at under-21 level. Real Sociedad's Goncalo Guedes returns for the first time since 2022. Samu Costa (Mallorca) and Tomas Araujo (Benfica) get rare opportunities to stake claims for World Cup roster spots.

Martinez has consistently used these windows to test depth, rotating more aggressively than many international managers. The friendlies against two World Cup co-hosts offer a unique chance to assess players in high-intensity environments — Mexico City's altitude and Atlanta's purpose-built infrastructure will both test the squad's adaptability.

What It Means for Expats

For the estimated 300,000 Portuguese expats in the United States and Canada, the Atlanta match offers a rare chance to see the national team on American soil. Ronaldo's absence will disappoint many who bought tickets specifically to see him, but the fixture still carries weight as Portugal's final public outing before the tournament begins.

Portugal are drawn in Group K alongside Colombia, Uzbekistan, and a qualifier still to be determined from the intercontinental playoff. Their opening match is expected in mid-June, with group-stage venues yet to be officially confirmed.

For those watching from Portugal, the broadcasting situation remains fraught. As previously reported, FIFA's pricing has put free-to-air coverage in doubt, meaning many fans may need paid subscriptions to follow the tournament. The government has said it is monitoring the situation but has not intervened.

The broader context is unmissable: this is almost certainly Ronaldo's last World Cup. Whether or not he leads Portugal to a deep run, the tournament marks the end of an era. These friendlies — without him — are a preview of what comes after.