Ronaldo Included in Portugal’s Nations League Squad as Jorge Jesus Begins New Era - Newstrends
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Ronaldo Included in Portugal’s Nations League Squad as Jorge Jesus Begins New Era

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Ronaldo Included in Portugal’s Nations League Squad as Jorge Jesus Begins New Era

Ronaldo Included in Portugal’s Nations League Squad as Jorge Jesus Begins New Era

Cristiano Ronaldo has been included in Portugal’s 25-man squad for the opening fixtures of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, ending immediate uncertainty over the 41-year-old captain’s continued involvement with the national team.

New Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus named Ronaldo in his first squad on Friday, September 18, as the reigning Nations League champions prepare for four Group A4 matches between September 24 and October 4.

Ronaldo’s selection comes less than three months after the veteran forward confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be his final appearance at the tournament.

He has also fuelled wider retirement speculation after saying in August that the coming year would probably be the final season of his professional football career.

However, Ronaldo has not announced his retirement from international football, and his inclusion in Jesus’ first squad confirms that he remains available for Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains the leading scorer in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 233 appearances for Portugal.

His international career has included victory at Euro 2016 and two UEFA Nations League titles, in 2019 and 2025.

Ronaldo was unable to add the FIFA World Cup trophy to his collection after Portugal were eliminated by Spain in the round of 16 at the 2026 tournament.

The defeat brought his World Cup career to an end after six appearances at the global tournament, but did not immediately mark the end of his Portugal career.

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Jesus, who was appointed after Roberto Martinez left the post following Portugal’s World Cup exit, has a previous working relationship with Ronaldo.

The 72-year-old coach managed Ronaldo at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, where they won the Saudi Pro League title during the 2025/26 season.

Jesus, however, has made it clear that Ronaldo’s reputation will not guarantee him a starting place in the new Portugal team.

Discussing the veteran forward’s selection, the coach said performance would determine his decisions.

Jesus said Ronaldo would be treated like the other players when it came to selection, although he acknowledged that the Portugal captain has a different status because of his achievements.

The new coach’s comments underline his intention to maintain competition for places as he begins rebuilding the national team following the World Cup.

Jesus has retained most of the players who featured at the 2026 World Cup, with only a small number of changes to the squad.

Among the players returning to the national team are Joao Palhinha, Nuno Tavares and Fabio Silva, while Benfica goalkeeper Samuel Soares has also been included.

The squad features several of Portugal’s established stars, including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Rafael Leao and Pedro Neto.

Ronaldo is joined in the forward line by Fabio Silva, Francisco Trincao, Francisco Conceicao, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Rafael Leao.

Portugal will begin the new Nations League campaign at home against Wales on September 24 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.

Jesus will then take his team to Oslo to face Norway on September 27 before Portugal travel to Copenhagen for a meeting with Denmark on October 1.

The four-match sequence will conclude with Portugal hosting Norway at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto on October 4.

The fixtures will provide Jesus with his first competitive tests since replacing Martinez and give him an opportunity to assess his squad ahead of the next phase of Portugal’s international programme.

Portugal enter the competition as the defending UEFA Nations League champions, having defeated Spain on penalties in the 2025 final to win the tournament for the second time.

The team’s previous Nations League triumph came in 2019, when Portugal defeated the Netherlands in the final.

Ronaldo’s selection also keeps alive the possibility of the veteran playing a role in Portugal’s preparations for future competitions, although his long-term international plans remain unclear.

The next major European international tournament will be Euro 2028, by which time Ronaldo will be 43.

For now, however, his immediate focus is the Nations League and the start of the Jorge Jesus era.

Ronaldo is also approaching another major personal milestone.

He has scored 979 official career goals for club and country, leaving him 21 goals short of the 1,000-goal mark.

Jesus was asked about the possibility of Ronaldo reaching the milestone with Portugal but suggested that he expected the forward to achieve it at club level rather than with the national team.

The comment adds another dimension to the relationship between the coach and Portugal’s most prolific international scorer.

Despite Ronaldo’s advancing age and retirement comments, his continued selection means he remains part of Portugal’s plans at the start of the new international cycle.

Jesus has nevertheless stressed that past achievements will not determine who plays, placing the emphasis on current performances.

Portugal’s first test under the new manager will therefore attract considerable attention, with Ronaldo expected to remain one of the central figures as the European champions begin their 2026/27 Nations League defence.

Portugal’s 25-Man Nations League Squad

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Rui Silva, Samuel Soares.

Defenders: Goncalo Inacio, Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Nuno Tavares, Nuno Mendes, Renato Veiga, Ruben Dias, Tomas Araujo.

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Joao Palhinha, Joao Neves, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva.

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Fabio Silva, Francisco Trincao, Francisco Conceicao, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leao.

Ronaldo Included in Portugal’s Nations League Squad as Jorge Jesus Begins New Era

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Nigeria Flamingos Make History, Stun Brazil 3-1 to Reach U-17 Women’s World Cup Final

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Nigeria Flamingos Make History, Stun Brazil 3-1 to Reach U-17 Women’s World Cup Final

 

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have made history by becoming the first African country to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Brazil 3-1 in a thrilling semi-final encounter on Wednesday night.

Inspired by a brilliant brace from Awawu Bashiru and an early strike from Queen Joseph, the Nigerian girls produced an impressive performance to overcome their South American opponents and book a historic place in Saturday’s final in Morocco.

Joseph opened the scoring with a close-range finish from four yards to give Akeem Busari’s side an early advantage.

Bashiru then doubled Nigeria’s lead with a moment of brilliance, sending a lofted cross over the Brazilian goalkeeper and into the net in the 71st minute.

The forward completed her brace 10 minutes later, calmly firing home a well-placed effort at the near post to extend Nigeria’s advantage and send the Nigerian bench, supporters and officials into wild celebrations.

 

Brazil managed to pull one back through Greise Kelly in the 89th minute, but it was too little, too late as the Flamingos held on for a memorable victory.

 

The triumph represents Nigeria’s first-ever victory over Brazil at this level and marks a significant milestone for African women’s football, with the Flamingos becoming the first team from the continent to qualify for the tournament’s final.

 

Nigeria will now have the opportunity to surpass their previous best achievement of winning the bronze medal in 2022 as they prepare for a showdown with Japan, who defeated tournament favourites Korea DPR in the other semi-final.

 

The eagerly anticipated final is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, in Morocco, with the Flamingos aiming to crown their historic campaign with Nigeria’s first-ever U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

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Tragedy: Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision

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Tragedy: Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision
Tragedy: Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision

Spanish footballer Jesús de Miguel has died at the age of 30 after suffering a cardiac arrest following a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a league match involving his club, CD Tenerife.

The striker died on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at a hospital in Tenerife, Spain, a day after he collapsed during his team’s encounter against FC Andorra in the Spanish second division.

The incident occurred in the closing stages of Monday’s match at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium, with both teams level at 2-2.

De Miguel was chasing a long ball towards the middle of the pitch when FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono rushed out of his penalty area to intercept it. The goalkeeper collided with the forward, striking him in the chest with his knee.

De Miguel immediately fell to the ground, prompting players from both teams to call for urgent medical assistance. Owono was shown a straight red card following the collision.

Medical personnel rushed onto the pitch and administered emergency treatment to the injured footballer before he was transported to hospital by ambulance.

During the journey, De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest, but medical personnel reportedly managed to restore his pulse through emergency resuscitation.

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He was subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit of Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

CD Tenerife initially described his condition as stable despite the seriousness of his injuries. However, a subsequent medical update indicated that his neurological condition had deteriorated.

He died at approximately 8:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

Announcing his death, CD Tenerife expressed profound sorrow over the loss of the striker and extended condolences to his family, friends, teammates and supporters.

The club also appealed for respect for the privacy of his family during the difficult period.

The tragedy has prompted a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the footballer’s death, including possible involuntary manslaughter under Spanish law.

Authorities explained that such proceedings are routinely initiated when a death is considered non-natural. The investigation does not, in itself, establish criminal responsibility on the part of anyone involved in the collision.

Meanwhile, the incident has triggered an outpouring of condolences across the football community.

Spanish football giants, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, expressed sympathy to Tenerife and De Miguel’s family.

FC Andorra also paid tribute to the deceased player, while the club’s president and former Barcelona defender, Gerard Piqué, expressed his condolences.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) postponed matches scheduled for Tuesday in the Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina as a mark of respect.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) also announced that matches across its competitions would observe a minute of silence in memory of the late footballer.

De Miguel joined Tenerife from Castellón ahead of the 2025–2026 season.

Born in Madrid in 1996, he built his career across several Spanish clubs, including Leganés B, Fuenlabrada, Unionistas de Salamanca and Castellón.

He scored 11 goals during the previous season and helped Castellón secure promotion to Spain’s second division.

His death has left teammates, supporters and members of the Spanish football community mourning the loss of a player whose career was cut short by the tragic incident.

Tragedy: Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision

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Super Falcons Receive $100,000 Each as Tinubu Finally Fulfils WAFCON Pledge

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Super Falcons Receive $100,000 Each as Tinubu Finally Fulfils WAFCON Pledge
Super Falcons Receive $100,000 Each as Tinubu Finally Fulfils WAFCON Pledge

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fulfilled his financial reward promise to Nigeria’s Super Falcons, with each player receiving the naira equivalent of $100,000 following the team’s historic triumph at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Members of the coaching crew and other team officials have also received the naira equivalent of $50,000 each, completing the cash component of the presidential reward package announced after Nigeria won its record-extending 10th continental title.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) confirmed the payments on Monday, November 2, 2026, describing the development as the fulfilment of the President’s financial commitment to the national women’s football team.

The payment brings an end to the outstanding cash component of the reward package, which Tinubu announced during a presidential reception held in honour of the team on July 28, 2025.

Following their historic achievement, the President had promised each of the 24 players the naira equivalent of $100,000, while members of the 11-person technical team were to receive $50,000 each.

He also conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on the players and technical crew and approved the allocation of three-bedroom apartments in Abuja to members of the team.

The housing documents and national honours certificates had earlier been presented to the beneficiaries, leaving the cash payments as the outstanding component of the presidential pledge.

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Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, commended Tinubu for honouring his commitment, describing the fulfilment of the reward package as an important development for Nigerian sports.

Dikko said the Super Falcons had made the country proud and deserved recognition for their achievement, adding that the timely delivery of the promised rewards would strengthen confidence among Nigerian athletes.

He also acknowledged the cooperation between the NSC and the Ministries of Finance, Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, and Housing and Urban Development in ensuring the delivery of the presidential commitments.

According to him, the development represents a departure from previous experiences in which Nigerian athletes sometimes waited several years for government promises made after major international competitions to be fulfilled.

Dikko urged Nigerian athletes to draw encouragement from the development and remain committed to representing the country, assuring them that their sacrifices and achievements deserved recognition.

The Super Falcons earned the historic reward after producing a remarkable comeback against hosts Morocco in the final of the 2025 WAFCON.

Nigeria had fallen two goals behind but fought back to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory in Rabat in July 2025, reclaiming the continental crown and extending its record as the most successful country in the history of the women’s African football championship.

The victory marked Nigeria’s 10th WAFCON title and further cemented the Super Falcons’ dominance in African women’s football.

Tinubu’s fulfilment of the promise follows a similar development involving Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, whose players received the naira equivalent of $100,000 each in September 2026 after winning the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket championship.

The basketball players also received three-bedroom apartment allocation documents and OON national honours as part of their presidential reward package.

The latest development reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to recognising sporting achievements and rewarding Nigerian athletes who bring international honours to the country.

Editorial note: The reports give different estimates of the naira equivalent of the $100,000 reward. The article therefore retains the officially stated dollar-equivalent amount without presenting an unconfirmed naira figure as the exact payment.

Super Falcons Receive $100,000 Each as Tinubu Finally Fulfils WAFCON Pledge

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