Mexico and Cristiano Ronaldo: no go

Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be in action in Mexico later this month. A hamstring injury has sidelined the Portuguese star, ruling him out of March’s international matches - including Portugal’s clash with El Tri at the Estadio Azteca.

On Friday, the Portuguese federation released its squad list, and Ronaldo’s absence was the headline. For Mexican soccer fans, another notable omission was Paulinho, despite earlier reports suggesting the Toluca forward had a strong chance of being called up by Roberto Martínez.

When did Ronaldo get injured?

Ronaldo suffered the muscle injury on February 28, during Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League match against Al Fayha. Initial assessments suggested the issue wasn’t serious, but further tests revealed otherwise. He is dealing with a significant injury and even traveled to Madrid, Spain, for treatment.

In Saudi Arabia, the expectation is that the Portuguese icon won’t return to action until after the international break - making him unavailable for Portugal’s friendlies against Mexico and the United States as the Seleção continues preparing for the World Cup.

Portugal’s roster to face Mexico and the U.S.

• Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP).
• Defenders: Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), António Silva (SL Benfica), Tomás Araújo (SL Benfica).
• Midfielders: Rúben Neves (Al Hilal), Samú Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), João Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto).
• Forwards: Ricardo Horta (SC Braga), Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting CP), João Félix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG).

When is Mexico vs Portugal?

The match takes place on Saturday, March 28, with Mexico hosting Portugal at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT in a friendly that will also mark the reopening of Estadio Azteca. The stadium has been closed since May 2024 for renovations, as Mexico gears up to co-host the 2026 World Cup.

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