--- title: "Portugal Without Ronaldo: National Team Announces First Squad After Legend's Farewell, Bernardo Silva Named Captain" description: "The Portugal national team has announced a 28-man squad for the November Nations League matches without Cristiano Ronaldo, who ended his international career on November 5. Real Madrid's Bernardo Silva is the new captain." date: 2026-11-06T20:34:55.700Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/portugal-without-ronaldo-new-captain-bernardo-silva tags: [cristiano-ronaldo, portugal-national-team, nations-league, bernardo-silva, jorge-jesus, fifa] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Portugal Without Ronaldo: National Team Announces First Squad After Legend's Farewell, Bernardo Silva Named Captain ![Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva celebrating a Portugal national team victory](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/06/portugalia-bez-ronaldu-novyy-kapitan-bernardu-silva-zayavka-na-ligu-natsiy/portugalia-bez-ronaldu-novyy-kapitan-bernardu-silva-zayavka-na-ligu-natsiy-1.webp) ## Key Points - Cristiano Ronaldo ended his international career on November 5, 2026: 234 matches and 146 goals in 23 years — world records - Jorge Jesus announced a 28-man squad for the November Nations League matches without Ronaldo - Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid, 115 international caps) became the new captain of the Portugal national team - Portugal has already guaranteed qualification for the Nations League play-offs by winning all three group matches - On November 14, Portugal plays Denmark, and on November 17, they face Wales The Portugal national team has officially announced its 28-man squad for the final two matches of the UEFA Nations League group stage for the 2026/27 season — and Cristiano Ronaldo is notably absent from the list. On November 5, the legendary striker brought an end to his 23-year international career. This was reported by the press service of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) on the social network X (Twitter), as cited by Sport RBC.UA. Head coach Jorge Jesus unveiled the team's first squad since the departure of its long-serving captain, handing the leadership armband to Real Madrid midfielder Bernardo Silva. ### Farewell to Records: 234 Matches and 146 Goals Over 23 years in the national team jersey, Cristiano Ronaldo made 234 appearances and scored 146 goals, both of which are world records in men's international football. For over a decade, the forward wore the captain's armband, becoming a symbol of an entire generation of Portuguese football. His departure closes an era spanning from his debut in 2003 to his final farewell match on November 5, 2026. FPF President Pedro Proença expressed "profound and eternal gratitude" to Ronaldo in an official statement, noting that he "spread Portugal's name to every corner of the world," broke records, and led the team to achievements "that will forever remain in our history." Proença also promised that the federation would properly honor the player's legacy. ### Bernardo Silva — The New Captain: 115 Caps Following Ronaldo's departure, the captain's armband was given to Real Madrid midfielder Bernardo Silva. Among all the players included in the November squad, he has the most international experience with 115 caps. His closest pursuer in this regard is Bruno Fernandes with 97 appearances. Thus, the team management has placed its trust in an experienced and authoritative midfielder who has been one of the key players for several years. ### Squad for November Matches: Who Is In Jorge Jesus has called up 28 players. The goalkeepers include Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting), and Samuel Soares (Benfica). The defenders are Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Tomás Araújo (Benfica), António Silva (Bournemouth), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), and Tavares (Lazio). The midfielders feature João Palhinha (Benfica), Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal), Mateus Fernandes (Tottenham), Vitinha and João Neves (both PSG), Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid), and Bruno Fernandes. The attacking line includes Pedro Neto and João Cancelo (both Chelsea), Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge), Rafael Leão (Galatasaray), João Félix (Al-Nassr), Gonçalo Ramos (Borussia Dortmund), and others. The full list has been published on the official FPF website. ### Portugal Already in the Play-offs: Team Form Without Ronaldo It is worth noting that the Portugal national team has already secured a spot in the Nations League play-offs. The team guaranteed this after a 2-1 victory over Norway in the fourth round of the group stage. Earlier, in the third round, the Portuguese secured a convincing 4-2 win over Denmark, playing without Ronaldo, who left the national team just before that match. According to Sport RBC.UA, Jorge Jesus's side has won all three matches played and tops its group. Therefore, the upcoming November games serve more to confirm their leadership than as a battle for play-off qualification. ### Schedule: Denmark and Wales Are the Final Group Matches In November, the Portuguese will play their final two matches of the Nations League group stage. On November 14, Jorge Jesus's team will face Denmark, and on November 17, they will play Wales. Both matches will continue the story of "Portugal without Ronaldo" and give fans a chance to assess how the team is adapting to the new era. For Bernardo Silva, these games will be his first as the official captain of the national team — a role he will hold moving forward alongside Bruno Fernandes and other veterans in the squad. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Первый этап жизни без Роналду: Португалия объявила состав и назвала нового капитана](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/pershiy-etap-zhittya-ronaldu-portugaliya-1793996975.html) - Primary source: official statement by the FPF press service on X. Confirms the retirement date (Nov 5), statistics (234/146), new captain (Bernardo Silva), 28-player squad, match schedule (Nov 14 Denmark, Nov 17 Wales), and Pedro Proença's quote. - [Португалия без Роналду только побеждает, первый успех Клоппа с Германией. Главное в Лиге наций](https://www.sports.ru/football/blogs/3533576.html) - Confirms context: Portugal continues to win in the Nations League without Ronaldo. No contradictions with the main text. - [Лига наций: Португалия справилась без Роналду, Греция упустила победу](https://korrespondent.net/sport/football/4916649-lyha-natsyi-portuhalyia-spravylas-bez-ronaldu-hretsyia-upustyla-pobedu) - Confirms that Portugal won against Denmark (4-2) without Ronaldo, who left the squad just before the game. Jesus's team won all three matches and tops the group with 9 points. - [А Португалия без Роналду лучше или хуже?](https://www.sports.ru/football/blogs/3549713.html) - Подтверждает контекст: Португалия без Роналду одерживает победы в Лиге наций. Не содержит противоречий с основным текстом. ## FAQ ### When did Cristiano Ronaldo end his career with the Portugal national team? On November 5, 2026. Over 23 years with the national team, he made 234 appearances and scored 146 goals — both records in men's international football. ### Who became the new captain of the Portugal national team? Real Madrid midfielder Bernardo Silva. Among the players in the November squad, he has the most experience with 115 international appearances. ### When will Portugal play its November Nations League matches? On November 14 against Denmark, and November 17 against Wales. Both are the final matches of the group stage. ### Has Portugal already qualified for the Nations League play-offs? Yes. The team secured its play-off spot following a 2-1 victory over Norway in the fourth round. Previously, the Portuguese won all three group stage matches, including a 4-2 win against Denmark. ### How many players were called up for the November matches? Head coach Jorge Jesus called up 28 players. The squad features players from Porto, Benfica, Manchester City, PSG, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Galatasaray, and other clubs.