Just months left for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the Portuguese soccer team recently faced off against Mexico in a friendly game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. However, the game ended with the disappointing scoreline of 0-0. While the match featured many key players from the Portuguese squad, such as Nuno Mendes, Chico Conceicao, Bruno Fernandes, João Cancelo, Vitinha, and João Neves, it heavily missed the absence and leadership of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently recovering from an injury.
Ronaldo, back at the Al-Nassr training camp after rehabbing in Spain after a thigh injury, was ruled out of the friendly game versus Mexico and missed his 227th international game for Portugal. However, the result of the match did not satisfy legendary soccer coach José Mourinho, who publicly expressed his feelings.
Mourinho, in charge of the Portuguese club Benfica, brutally bashed Portugal's international squad and expressed how much the team missed the absence of Ronaldo (quotes provided by Goal).
“Take Cristiano Ronaldo out of the picture and Portugal look like any run-of-the-mill team,” Mourinho said. “People keep asking us not to call him up. Well, he didn’t play today and you saw the result. No threat, no fear from the opposition. Just a team being put under pressure by Mexico. When Ronaldo is on the pitch, the opposition think twice. Without him, they don’t think at all.”
Yet to announce the official squad for the 2026 World Cup, Portugal's coach, Roberto Martínez, had shared a major update on Ronaldo's place in the squad a few months ago.
