Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be unavailable for the national team’s upcoming friendlies against Mexico and the United States as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
Reports indicate that Ronaldo, 41, flew out of the Middle East amid the Gulf States conflict. Shortly after, his club Al Nassr manager, Jorge Jesus, confirmed that the Portuguese star had traveled to Spain for treatment, missing recent Saudi Pro League matches against Neom and Al Khaleej.
Both club and country have agreed that Ronaldo should focus fully on regaining fitness ahead of the World Cup, now only months away.
As a result, he will also miss Portugal’s marquee friendly against Mexico on March 28, which marks the reopening of the Estadio Azteca. Ronaldo will not travel to Mexico City, with an expected recovery period of around two weeks.
Although his absence takes some attention away from the fixture, Portugal will still field a strong and in-form squad. Midfielder Vitinha is set to play a central role in the team.
Additionally, Gonçalo Guedes returns to the squad after an extended absence. The Real Sociedad forward has impressed this season with consistent attacking performances and is now considered a potential option for Portugal’s World Cup plans, according to head coach Roberto Martínez.
