Besides Cristiano Ronaldo, who can shine for Portugal in the World Cup

The Portugal team debuts in the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday (17), against DR Congo, in Group K, which also includes Uzbekistan and Colombia. Although Cristiano Ronaldo is the main star of the Portuguese team, other names could make a difference for the Portuguese in the World Cup.

In addition to the striker, who is playing in his sixth World Cup, the squad led by Spanish coach Roberto Martínez also includes Vitinha, João Neves, Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias and Pedro Neto.

Ballon d'Or contender, Vitinha is at the height of his career with Paris Saint-Germain, the French club where he recently won his second Champions League title. The midfielder became a key player in both the team and the national team led by Cristiano Ronaldo. His good performance saw him reach third place last season in the Ballon d'Or award, leaving him behind only Yamal and Dembélé.

Consolidation at PSG and in the Portuguese team is the same case as João Neves, a young promise of the current generation. Ex-Benfica, he stood out in the offensive sector of the 2025/2026 season with 5 goals in Ligue 1, and participated in relevant plays in PSG's campaign to the second Champions League title.

Bernardo Silva is also one of the highlights of the World Cup for Portugal. At 31, he became a multi-time champion with Manchester City, a team he spent nine seasons with. Developed by Benfica, the midfielder played for Monaco, in France, and is now close to signing with Real Madrid. The player already has experience in World Cups, having participated in the 2018 (in Russia) and 2022 (in Qatar) editions.

Currently at Manchester City, Rúben Dias is one of the main defenders in world football today. A graduate of Benfica's youth teams, he strengthened the English team's defensive sector and won multiple trophies in recent years, including the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and several editions of the Premier League.

Portuguese winger Pedro Neto, who currently wears Chelsea's number 7 shirt, has become one of the main names for the English club and the Portuguese national team. The player shone in last year's Club World Cup, being the Blues' top scorer in the tournament.

Even with the other favorites, Cristiano Ronaldo recently declared that he sees Portugal strong in their sixth and final World Cup and praised the current generation.

"We will only know at the end (if Portugal is a candidate for the title). It's a very good generation, but there are factors that we can't control, like the games, winning or not winning, is the most important point. I believe it's a generation that will bring a lot of joy to the Portuguese", he said.

Portugal team at the World Cup

- Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, José Sá, Rui Silva, Ricardo Velho;
- Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Matheus Nunes, Nelson Semedo, João Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Inácio, Renato Veiga, Ruben Dias, Tomás Araújo;
- Midfielders: Ruben Neves, Samu Costa, João Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva;
- Forwards: João Félix, Francisco Trincão, Francisco Conceição, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leão, Gonçalo Guedes, Gonçalo Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Generation 2026: Cristiano Ronaldo dreams of unprecedented Portuguese title

Source: CNN