This Tuesday, the list of Portuguese players selected for the 2026 World Cup was revealed by Roberto Martinez. Éli Junior Kroupi, who could have been part of it due to the nationality of his mother, is missing.
“Before the March rally, we approached him. But it’s one thing to support players likely to wear the Portugal jersey, and the player’s desire is another. In this specific case, Eli Junior Kroupi wanted to represent France, and we respect his choice”said the Spanish technician at a press conference.
Trained in Lorient, this 19-year-old center forward joined Bournemouth last summer. Having passed through the youth selections with the rooster jersey, the son of Ivorian international Éli Kroupi revealed himself in the Premier League this season by scoring twelve goals.
Portugal, the list of players selected for the World Cup
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton), Rui Silva (Sporting CP) and Ricardo Velho (Genclerbirligi Ankara)
Defenders: Nuno Mendes (PSG), João Cancelo (Al-Hilal, FC Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahçe), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomás Araújo (Benfica), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting CP)
Midfielders: Samu Costa (Mallorca), Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal), João Neves (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) and Vitinha (PSG)
Forwards: Rafael Leão (AC Milan), João Félix (Al-Nassr), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad) and Pedro Neto (Chelsea)
In this list of 27 players, there are four players from Paris Saint-Germain: Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Gonçalo Ramos. Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, hopes to win his first world title.
