Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes has been ruled out of Portugal’s final two World Cup qualifiers, national team coach Roberto Martinez confirmed on Friday, describing the player as “irreplaceable.”
The 23-year-old full-back sustained a sprained left knee during PSG’s UEFA Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on November 4.
The French club later announced that Mendes would be sidelined for “several weeks”, dealing a blow to both club and country.
“There’s no player who can replace Nuno Mendes. He’s probably the best in the world right now,”
said Martinez during a press conference in Lisbon.
While Mendes is out, Joao Neves, also of PSG, has made a return to the squad after recovering from injury. Martinez also handed a first senior call-up to Carlos Forbs, the Club Brugge winger who impressed in midweek by scoring twice and assisting another goal in a thrilling 3–3 draw against Barcelona in the Champions League.
Team captain Cristiano Ronaldo—who leads Portugal’s scoring charts with five goals in the qualifying campaign—retains his place and continues to serve as the squad’s anchor.
“Ronaldo remains an example for the group, with more than 200 caps to his name,” Martinez added.
Portugal, who sit top of Group F, are one victory away from securing their place in the 2026 World Cup in North America.
They face Ireland in Dublin on November 13 before returning home to host Armenia in Porto on November 16.
A win in Dublin would officially confirm their qualification.
Goalkeepers:
Diogo Costa (Porto), José Sá (Wolves/ENG), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon)
Defenders:
Diogo Dalot (Manchester United/ENG), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce/TUR), Joao Cancelo (Al Hilal/KSA), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City/ENG), Ruben Dias (Manchester City/ENG), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Villarreal/ESP)
Midfielders:
Joao Palhinha (Tottenham/ENG), Ruben Neves (Al Hilal/KSA), Joao Neves (PSG/FRA), Vitinha (PSG/FRA), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/ENG), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG)
Forwards:
Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Felix (Al Nassr/KSA), Francisco Trincão (Sporting Lisbon), Francisco Conceição (Juventus/ITA), Rafael Leao (AC Milan/ITA), Pedro Neto (Chelsea/ENG), Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge/BEL), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG/FRA), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr/KSA)
Portugal have been dominant throughout the qualifiers under Roberto Martinez, maintaining a perfect record so far.
Their defensive organisation and attacking depth have made them one of the early favourites to contend strongly in next year’s World Cup, to be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
