Portugal Euro 2024 squad: Who Roberto Martinez will take to Germany. The Selecao have a decent chance of tasting continental glory this summer if they play to their full potential
After an underwhelming showing three years ago, where they were dumped out of the competition in the last 16 at the hands of Belgium, as well as a shock World Cup quarter-final exit to Morocco in Qatar, the Selecao will be motivated to put in a better showing this time around.
Fernando Santos left his post following that defeat to the north African side, with Roberto Martinez stepping into the hotseat in his stead. The former Belgium boss was not a universally-popular choice, but he’s done an impressive job thus far, as his side won each of his opening 10 games in charge.
Martinez is blessed with a group bulging with talent, and they should be extra motivated to perform for Cristiano Ronaldo, in what is likely to be his last-ever international tournament. But who made Portugal’s 26-player Euro squad? Let’s take a look…
Getty ImagesGOALKEEPERS
Portugal are blessed with a strong pool of goalkeepers heading into the tournament. Porto’s young shot-stopper Diogo Costa – linked with several Premier League sides in the recent past – has emerged as the No.1, but should he not be available, both Roma’s Rui Patricio and Wolves’ Jose Sa are more than capable of stepping in.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Diogo Costa | Porto |
| Rui Patricio | Roma |
| Jose Sa | Wolves |
Getty ImagesDEFENDERS
Portugal’s defensive options are strong, too. Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo are nailed-on starters at the back, while Manchester United star Diogo Dalot has proved a popular choice down the left-hand side of defence.
The question of who will partner Dias at centre-back is more open. Martinez has flipped between a back four and back three since taking over, with youngsters Goncalo Inacio and Antonio Silva both receiving minutes. though the ageless Pepe remains an option, too.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Joao Cancelo | Barcelona |
| Ruben Dias | Manchester City |
| Diogo Dalot | Manchester United |
| Goncalo Inacio | Sporting CP |
| Nuno Mendes | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Pepe | Porto |
| Nelson Semedo | Wolves |
| Antonio Silva | Benfica |
Getty ImagesMidfields
Bruno Fernandes was the only player who featured in each of Martinez’s first 10 games in charge, but the other midfield positions are more open. Ruben Neves and Otavio moving to the Saudi Pro League has not affected their international prospects, while holding midfielders Danilo Pereira and Joao Palhinha will provide some much-needed steel.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United |
| Joao Neves | Benfica |
| Ruben Neves | Al-Hilal |
| Otavio | Al-Nassr |
| Joao Palhinha | Fulham |
| Danilo Pereira | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Vitinha | Paris Saint-Germain |
Forwards
When Martinez took over, the question he had to ask straight away was whether he would continue relying on Ronaldo as his go-to striker. He opted to stick by the legendary forward and Ronaldo thanked him for his faith by scoring 10 goals in his first nine games.
Bernardo Silva has been another mainstay of Martinez’s attack, with Joao Felix and Rafael Leao also featuring regularly. Diogo Jota and Goncalo Ramos, meanwhile, provide vital depth.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Francisco Conceicao | Porto |
| Joao Felix | Barcelona |
| Diogo Jota | Liverpool |
| Rafael Leao | AC Milan |
| Pedro Neto | Wolves |
| Goncalo Ramos | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr |
The XI anticipated
Costa seems to have the goalkeeper spot laid nailed down, with Dias, Dalot and Cancelo certain picks in defence. It’s a coin toss for the other centre-back position, but Inacio probably has the edge at the time of writing.
Palhinha should slot into defensive midfield, flanked by Fernandes and one of Otavio or Vitinha. There’s no prizes for guessing who’ll be leading the line, with Bernardo playing down the right. That leaves just the left-forward berth free, and it’s a tough one to call, with Felix and Leao hardly enjoying vintage seasons this time out and Jota having suffered from injury problems all season.
Portugal (4-3-3): Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Dalot; Palhinha, Otavio, Fernandes; Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Felix.
Prominent players who were not present.
Pedro Goncalves has been tearing up the Primeira Liga for several seasons, but Martinez refuses to entertain the idea of calling him up – much to the chagrin of Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim. “Goncalves is an unlucky player, because the competition for his position is very high,” he explained toO Jogo recently.
Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira’s lack of minutes means he hasn’t made the cut, while the formerly highly-rated Goncalo Guedes and Andre Silva are both way out of contention due to poor club form.
Raphael Guerreiro, meanwhile, misses out after suffering a late-season injury at Bayern Munich, while Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes is arguably the biggest name not to make the cut after struggling to break through under Pep Guardiola.
| Name | Club | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Pedro Goncalves | Sporting CP | Not selected |
| Goncalo Guedes | Villarreal | Not selected |
| Raphael Guerreiro | Bayern Munich | Injury |
| Matheus Nunes | Manchester City | Not selected |
| Renato Sanches | Roma | Not selected |
| Andre Silva | Real Sociedad | Not selected |
| Fabio Vieira | Arsenal | Not selected |