Portugal arrive at the 2026 World Cup as one of the clear candidates to claim the title due to the elite level of the squad they currently possess. They enter the tournament with deep desires to secure the trophy for their ultimate idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is already preparing for the most prestigious competition in the sporting world.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Cristiano Ronaldo already arrived at the Portugal camp alongside Bruno Fernandes, a key teammate who will surely bring plenty of joy to CR7. Furthermore, on the Portuguese captain’s social media accounts, he uploaded a new image of himself arriving at the camp, adding that the search for his ultimate objective has officially begun: “The World Mission begins!”
The message remains entirely clear, as Cristiano Ronaldo knows that this represents his final opportunity to capture one of the very few trophies he is missing on a general level. Achieving this would ensure his legacy is even more deeply etched into history if he manages to secure Portugal’s first World Cup victory at 41, an outcome that would be truly historic.
Portugal still with an incomplete squad
This Monday, Portugal began their formal preparation for the 2026 World Cup. Head coach Roberto Martinez directed the training session with 23 of the 27 players called up to the squad and counted on the immediate presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, although four separate soccer players were absent from the session because they recently competed in the Champions League final.
Começa a Missão Mundial! 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/wrqGTyuzsC
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) June 1, 2026
The Spanish strategist will have the complete roster available starting on June 6, when Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, and Goncalo Ramos are scheduled to join the squad’s concentration, finally. These players will join the rest of the group after successfully winning the Champions League title with PSG.
Ambition exists within the group
Before the practice session took place, midfielder Ruben Neves assured everyone that conquering the World Cup is the grand objective for Portugal. In addition to those statements, he highlighted that, despite the youth of the squad, the players are fully prepared to face the immense pressure that a tournament of this magnitude implies.
“We are a young group, but very experienced, and we know our qualities. It is a positive pressure, carrying an even greater responsibility, because we know we have the quality and can achieve great triumphs for Portugal,” asserted the soccer player from the Saudi club Al Hilal.
“We have to have high expectations, but with a certain responsibility. It is a competition that we know is extremely difficult, which has many factors at play, but our objective, being the team that we are, is without a doubt to reach the final and win,” he remarked, and he closed his media appearance with a strong phrase, stating, “We don’t plan to come back before July 19.”
As a part of their ongoing preparation for the upcoming World Cup held across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Portugal will play two friendly matches in the coming days. They are scheduled to face Chile on June 6 and will later match up against Nigeria on June 10.
