Cristiano Ronaldo had raised expectations for a highly anticipated return to North America ahead of the World Cup, with friendlies against Mexico and the USMNT on the schedule. But his injury situation has cast serious doubt over his availability, and the clock is now ticking after the date for Roberto Martínez to announce his Portugal squad was officially confirmed.
Alarm bells rang at Al Nassr after the club released a statement confirming that Ronaldo had suffered a hamstring injury during the match against Al Fayha, with no recovery timeline provided. The Portuguese star also missed the subsequent match against Neom SC and is expected to sit out further fixtures as he works to return to fitness ahead of the international window.
On Monday, the Portuguese Football Federation released a statement confirming that Martínez will announce his squad on Friday, March 20, at the Cidade do Futebol. That leaves Ronaldo fewer than two weeks to recover from his muscular injury and prove his fitness to the national team coach.
Portugal, who secured their place at the 2026 World Cup by topping Group F in UEFA qualifying, have organized a North American tour for the March international break, giving the squad an early look at the tournament’s host continent. The trip opens with a match against Mexico on Saturday, March 28, at Estadio Azteca Banorte.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Roberto Martinez, Manager of Portugal.
The tour concludes with a game against the USMNT on Tuesday, March 31, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Portugal will then face Chile in a friendly on June 6 before their World Cup group stage debut on June 17.
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Will Ronaldo recover in time?
The March window represents one of the final opportunities for Martínez to evaluate his options and refine the squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup. It also carries extra significance as one of the last times Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to represent Portugal on the international stage, with the 41-year-old widely expected to retire from international duty after the tournament.
With that in mind, the desire to see Ronaldo on the pitch one more time on this stage runs deep, from the player himself to his teammates, staff and supporters. Whether that happens, however, will depend entirely on how his recovery progresses, with Al Nassr’s next scheduled match before the international window, set for Saturday March 14, already expected to come too soon for the striker.
As Fabrizio Romano recently reported, Ronaldo could be sidelined for up to four weeks with his muscle injury. With the setback occurring on February 28, the worst-case scenario would see him approaching the Mexico match on March 28 at the very tail end of his recovery period, likely still short of full match fitness.
Ahead of Al Nassr’s game against Neom, Ronaldo offered a public show of commitment, posting a message of support on Instagram: “Recovering and ready to watch the game today. Let’s go, Al Nassr!” The message signaled his determination to return as quickly as possible and put himself in contention for Martínez’s call-up.
