LISBON: Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make a record sixth World Cup appearance after being included in Portugal’s squad for the tournament on Tuesday, and coach Roberto Martinez also included the late Diogo Jota as a “plus one forever” in a tribute to the player who died last year.
The 28-year-old Jota, a regular in Portugal’s squad, was killed in a car crash in Spain last July.
Martinez picked the 41-year-old Ronaldo and 26 other players to try to give Portugal their first World Cup title.
It will likely be Ronaldo’s final attempt at winning football’s most coveted trophy. It will be his first World Cup since he left Europe to play in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo and his great rival Lionel Messi of Argentina could become the first men to play in six World Cups.
Also included in the list were Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr teammate Joao Felix, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes. Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Gonçalo Ramos also made the list.
Portugal is in Group K along with Colombia, Uzbekistan and Congo. Portugal opens against Congo on June 17 in Houston.
