Cristiano Ronaldo Won’t Play In Portugal Friendlies vs. USA, Mexico

A hamstring injury will keep Cristiano Ronaldo out of Portugal’s friendlies against the United States and Mexico ahead of the World Cup in North America.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo hasn’t played since February 28 when he limped off the field while his Al-Nassr team beat Al-Fayha 3-1 in a Saudi Pro League match.

As expected, Portugal coach Roberto Martínez did not include the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in the squad he announced on Friday.

Portugal plays Mexico in Mexico City on March 28 before facing the United States in Atlanta on April 1.

Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in men’s international soccer after scoring 143 times for Portugal.

The World Cup starts in June.

Portugal’s March Friendly Squad:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon).

Defenders: Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), António Silva (Benfica), Tomás Araújo (Benfica).

Midfielders: Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal), Samú Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto);

Forwards: Ricardo Horta (Braga), Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting Lisbon), João Félix (Al- Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Sporting Lisbon), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain).

2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch

From June 11 through July 19, 2026, FOX Sports presents its largest World Cup production and broadcast slate to date featuring all 104 matches live across FOX (69) and FS1 (35) with every match live-streaming on FOX One and the FOX Sports App. 

All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).

What is the USA’s Schedule for the 2026 World Cup?

• June 12: United States vs. Paraguay — Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California (9 p.m. ET)
• June 19: United States vs. Australia — Seattle Stadium (3 p.m. ET)
• June 25: United States vs. UEFA Playoff C (Slovakia, Kosovo, Türkiye, Romania) — Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California (10 p.m. ET)