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On Tuesday, Roberto Martínez announced the squad of players who will represent Portugal at the World Cup.
The squad included many established names in the national team and a few surprises – choices that quickly became a cause for celebration amongst fans across the country.
But among those selected, how many have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or or won other awards at the ceremony?
Let’s take a closer look.
Diogo Costa (goalkeeper)
Let’s start with the man between the posts.
At 26, Diogo Costa has been Porto’s first-choice goalkeeper for several seasons and has established himself as a key player for both the club and the Portuguese national team.
His consistent performances for the ‘Dragões’, which helped the club win the Portuguese Cup, earned him a nomination for the Yashin Trophy in 2024 – an award given to the world’s best goalkeeper of the season.
Even though the club finished the league in third place, Costa led the league in clean sheets, keeping 14 matches without conceding a goal.
He also played a key role in that year’s Euro. Despite being knocked out by France in the quarter-finals, he made history in the round of 16 against Slovenia by becoming the first goalkeeper to save all penalty kicks in a single Euro tournament.
João Cancelo (defender)
At 31, João Cancelo is already one of the national team’s veterans – and his career recently reached a historic milestone: the full-back became the first player to win titles in four of Europe’s top five leagues.
Versatile, technically gifted and capable of playing in different positions, Cancelo was one of Pep Guardiola’s key players and has established himself among the best defenders in world football.
That season’s City side were also among the nominees for the Club of the Year award.
During his time in Manchester, the Portuguese player won three Premier League titles and was part of the squad that led the club to its first-ever Champions League title.
Matheus Nunes (defender)
Another familiar name in English football, Matheus Nunes joined Manchester City in 2023 after impressing for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Originally a midfielder, the Portuguese player ended up being deployed in more wide roles and earned his place thanks to his pace and physical ability.
He was part of the City squad nominated for the Club of the Year award in 2024, following their fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Although he has yet to receive individual nominations for the Ballon d'Or, Nunes continues to develop and is gaining recognition.
Nuno Mendes (defender)
Before becoming one of the world’s best left-backs, Nuno Mendes was one of the most promising talents in Portuguese football.
His performances for Sporting CP, helping the club win the Primeira Liga and the Taça da Liga, earned him two Kopa Trophy nominations, in 2021 and 2022.
He didn’t make it onto the podium, but his development continued.
Today, at 23, Mendes is considered by many to be the best player in the world in his position.
Last season, he played a decisive role in Paris Saint-Germain’s historic Champions League victory and also shone for the Portuguese national team in their Nations League title-winning campaign.
In the final against Spain, he was named man of the match and finished the competition as the tournament’s best player.
His performances earned him his first Ballon d’Or nomination in 2025, and PSG from that campaign also won the Club of the Year award.
Rúben Dias (defender)
Strong, dominant and extremely consistent, Rúben Dias has been regarded for years as one of the best centre-backs in world football.
Since joining Manchester City in 2020, he has become one of the key figures in Guardiola’s defence.
During this period, he has won four consecutive Premier League titles, the 2023 Champions League and several other trophies.
His performances have earned him three Ballon d’Or nominations: in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Dias was also part of the City squads that won the Club of the Year award in 2022 and 2023, as well as the team nominated again in 2024.
Bernardo Silva (midfielder)
Speaking of Guardiola’s trusted players, it is impossible not to mention Bernardo Silva.
The 31-year-old midfielder is about to bring an end to a historic spell at Manchester City after nine seasons packed with honours.
During that time, he has won practically everything: six Premier League titles, one Champions League, three FA Cups, five EFL Cups and one Club World Cup.
With 76 goals and 77 assists in 459 appearances, he has cemented his place in the club’s history.
Throughout his career, Bernardo has received three Ballon d’Or nominations.
The first came in 2019, driven not only by his performances for City, but also by his key role in Portugal’s campaign to win the Nations League.
The others came in 2022 and 2023.
He was also part of the City squad that won the Club of the Year award in 2022 and of the squad nominated again in 2024.
Bruno Fernandes (midfielder)
With 8 goals and 21 assists in 34 appearances for Manchester United in the 2025–26 season, Bruno Fernandes has just completed what many consider to be the best year of his career, helping the club return to the Champions League.
But this is far from his first great season.
Shortly after joining United in 2020, the Portuguese midfielder had already transformed the team. In his first full season, he finished as the club’s top scorer, helped the ‘Red Devils’ finish as Premier League runners-up and reach the Europa League final.
His immediate impact cemented his status as one of the team’s key players and earned him his first – and so far only – Ballon d’Or nomination in 2021.
João Neves (midfielder)
João Neves is one of the most promising names in this generation of Portuguese footballers.
Last year, the 21-year-old defensive midfielder received his first Ballon d’Or nomination following a brilliant season with Paris Saint-Germain and the national team.
With impressive maturity, intensity and technical quality, he was a key figure in PSG’s Ligue 1 and Champions League triumphs, as well as Portugal’s Nations League title.
The Parisian squad from that season also won the Club of the Year award.
Prior to that, Neves had already attracted attention by receiving two consecutive nominations for the Kopa Trophy, in 2024 and 2025, establishing himself as one of the most talented young players in world football.
Vitinha (midfielder)
Vitinha is enjoying the best spell of his career.
Last year, he finished third in the Ballon d’Or final rankings, behind only Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal.
It was his second consecutive nomination for the award, following his first appearance in 2024 – the season in which he firmly took charge of PSG’s midfield under Luis Enrique.
At 26, the Portuguese player has become a key figure for his ability to control the tempo of the game, drive forward with the ball and dictate the team’s play.
His performances were instrumental in PSG’s Ligue 1 and historic Champions League triumphs, as well as Portugal’s winning campaign in the Nations League.
Like João Neves, Vitinha was also part of the Parisian squad that won the Club of the Year award in 2025.
Cristiano Ronaldo (forward)
Does he need any introduction?
Cristiano Ronaldo is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players in the history of football.
His CV helps explain why: three Premier League titles, two La Liga titles, two Serie A titles, one European Championship and, of course, five Champions League titles. He was the first player in the modern era to win five Champions League trophies and remains the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, with 140 goals.
Speed, physical strength, explosiveness, dribbling and finishing have made CR7 one of the most iconic figures the sport has ever seen.
Throughout his career, he has received a record 18 Ballon d’Or nominations since his first in 2004.
For years, he shared the top spot in world football with Lionel Messi, forging one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the sport.
Of those 18 nominations, Ronaldo has won the award five times.
His first victory came in 2008, following a brilliant season with Manchester United, marked by Premier League and Champions League titles.
He then lifted the trophy again in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Much of this success is directly linked to his historic spell at Real Madrid, where many fans consider him the greatest player in the club’s history.
For Los Blancos, he won two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, four Champions League titles and numerous other trophies.
In 438 matches, he scored 450 goals – an all-time club record.
Perhaps the most iconic moment of his career came in 2016.
That year, Ronaldo led Portugal to the first major international title in the country’s history: the European Championship.
It is also no coincidence that he is the Portuguese national team’s all-time top scorer, with 143 goals.
His most recent Ballon d'Or nomination came in 2022, following his return to Manchester United.
Since 2023, he has played for Al-Nassr and is heading into his sixth World Cup in search of the one thing still missing: the World Cup title.
Gonçalo Ramos (forward)
A product of Benfica’s youth academy, Gonçalo Ramos has become a key player for PSG since joining the club in 2023.
Despite often starting matches on the bench, the striker has adapted to the role and become a specialist at turning games around when coming on as a substitute.
In October last year, he became PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer among players who have scored as substitutes, reaching 17 goals.
He was also part of the squad that won Ligue 1 and the club’s first Champions League title, a campaign that culminated in the Club of the Year award.
João Félix (forward)
2019 was the year that put João Félix in the global football spotlight.
Still very young, the midfielder was tipped to be the next big Portuguese star.
And there were good reasons for that.
In his first full season as a professional, he scored 15 goals and helped Benfica win the Primeira Liga title.
His performances also caught the eye on the international stage.
Félix was nominated for both the Kopa Trophy and the Ballon d’Or that year, further boosted by his role in Portugal’s winning campaign in the Nations League.
Now, at 26, he shares the Al-Nassr attack with Cristiano Ronaldo and hopes to take that partnership to the World Cup as well.
Pedro Neto (forward)
Pedro Neto made a name for himself at Wolverhampton during the period that became known as the club’s “Portuguese Revolution”.
Fast, unpredictable and aggressive in one-on-one situations, the winger became one of the team’s most exciting players before his transfer to Chelsea in 2024.
Although he has never received individual nominations for the Ballon d’Or, he was part of the Chelsea squad nominated for the Club of the Year award in 2025.
In the Club World Cup campaign, he finished as the team’s top scorer.
Now, he will look to bring these qualities to Portugal at the World Cup.
Rafael Leão (forward)
To round off, we have Rafael Leão.
Since arriving at Milan in 2019, the forward has become one of the faces of the Italian side.
His big breakthrough came in 2022, when he led the campaign that ended the club’s 11-year drought without winning Serie A.
That season, he scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists, was named the league’s MVP and received his first Ballon d’Or nomination.
Leão was one of only three Serie A players on the shortlist that year.
In summary
So, there you have it – these are Roberto Martínez’s squad selections who, in one way or another, have already had their names linked to the world of the Ballon d’Or.
Together, they will try to turn individual prestige into a collective achievement, seeking the first World Cup title in the history of the Portuguese national team.
Will they succeed?
