Portugal begin their World Cup campaign against DR Congo today, and Roberto Martinez has gone strong with his starting XI.
The Spaniard will want to set a precedent for the rest of the tournament, and produce a statement victory here that would send a ripple through the 48-strong bracket.
FOLLOW PORTUGAL VS DR CONGO LIVE!
Naturally, the goalscoring burden will lie with 41-year-old captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who, of course, starts up front as he looks to respond to Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland getting off the mark in their respective first games.
The engine room has practically picked itself, with two-thirds of it coming from Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League-winning trio.
The other is the Premier League player of the season, Bruno Fernandes, who has starred for Manchester United this term, especially since moving back into his preferred No10 hole after Michael Carrick took over at Old Trafford.
The United skipper broke the Premier League record for assists in a single season, and he will link up with former Red Devils team-mate Ronaldo once more on the global stage.
Out wide, there are a plethora of options for Martinez to pick from, but he plumps for Chelsea’s Pedro Neto over AC Milan’s Rafael Leao - who is pushing for an exit out of Italy this summer - on the left, and Bernardo Silva, the Manchester City captain set to join Real Madrid, on the right flank.
At the back, it is not Ruben Dias - who is not fully fit - or Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio, but former Chelsea defender Renato Veiga, offering a left-footed option, alongisdeTomas Araujo.
At full-back, there are the two no-brainers. Joao Cancelo on the right, and Nuno Mendes on the left.
Portugal XI (4-2-3-1): Costa; Cancelo, Araujo, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves; Silva, Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo
Time and date: 6pm BST on Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Venue: Houston Stadium, Texas
How to watch: BBC
