The 27+1 Squad

Portugal manager Roberto Martínez named his World Cup squad on May 16, calling it "27+1" — 26 players plus the honorary presence of Diogo Jota, who died in June 2025 at 28 years old. Liverpool's winger had been one of Portugal's best and most important players for four years. His death was one of the most significant losses in European football in a generation. The squad wears black armbands throughout the tournament. Jota's number 20 shirt will not be worn. The Portuguese community worldwide, including the large population in Newark's Ironbound district and in Massachusetts, is watching this tournament with grief alongside pride.

Ronaldo's Sixth

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is confirmed in the squad. Six World Cups. No other male player in history has appeared in six editions. His international career — 137 goals in 220 appearances — is a statistical achievement that may never be equalled. Whether he starts, how much he plays, and what he produces will be the constant conversation throughout Portugal's tournament.

Roberto Martínez has built a squad capable of competing without over-relying on Ronaldo — Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Rúben Neves, Rafael Leão, Pedro Neto. This is a genuinely deep and talented squad. Ronaldo is part of it, not the only part of it. How Martínez manages that dynamic will define Portugal's tournament.

Portugal's Group — Group K

Portugal is in Group K with Colombia, DR Congo, and Uzbekistan. The Colombia matchup is the headline — James Rodríguez vs Bruno Fernandes, Luis Díaz vs the Portuguese defensive line. The Jackson Heights Colombian community vs the Newark Ironbound Portuguese community, both in New York, watching the same match from different angles. These are the World Cup stories that make the city extraordinary.

The Ironbound Watches

Ferry Street in Newark's Ironbound district will be at maximum capacity for every Portugal match. The community gathered there has been watching Ronaldo and the national team for two decades. This tournament, with Jota's memory present in everything the team does, carries a weight that the Ironbound community feels as specifically as any in the world. Go to the Ironbound for a Portugal match. Eat bacalhau, drink Sagres, and understand what a football nation looks like from the inside.