Ronaldo named in Jorge Jesus's first Portugal squad

Cristiano Ronaldo is not finished with Portugal yet.

New coach Jorge Jesus has named the 41-year-old in his first 25-man squad for four Nations League games between 24 September and 4 October, according to BBC Sport. It is the first selection since Jesus replaced Roberto Martinez after the World Cup.

Portugal went out in the round of 16 in July, beaten by Spain in the knockout stage. Spain went on to win the tournament. Ronaldo had said before that World Cup that it would be his last.

Jesus knows Ronaldo well. He was his club manager at Al-Nassr last season. The Saudi club won the Saudi Pro League, their first league title in seven years.

Jesus had already signalled continuity. He said in July that he would not make drastic changes to the squad after the World Cup exit, according to Fox Sports. The names back him up. Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias and Pedro Neto are all included.

The schedule is packed. Portugal host Wales on 24 September at 19:45 BST. They play away to Norway three days later. Then comes a trip to Denmark on 1 October and a home game against Norway on 4 October.

Portugal start this Nations League campaign as holders. The Nations League is UEFA’s biennial tournament for national teams, played in groups with finals to decide the winner, and Portugal hold the trophy heading into the 2026/27 edition, according to UEFA.

For fans, this means more time with a familiar story. Ronaldo will turn 42 before next summer’s Nations League finals and will be 43 by Euro 2028. The age bar is high. Pepe, his former Portugal team-mate, is the oldest player in Euros history at 41 years and 130 days for his last game at Euro 2024.

Jesus is 72 and a former midfielder. His first test is simple: keep results steady, keep the crowd with him, and decide how long Portugal’s most famous player remains at the centre of it.