At mercedes benz stadium tonight, Portugal faces the USMNT in a friendly as both teams prepare for the World Cup. The biggest question around the match is immediate and personal: Cristiano Ronaldo is not playing, because he remains out of Portugal’s squad while recovering from an injury. Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has kept Ronaldo off the roster announced weeks ago for the two friendly matches, and the decision stands for tonight’s game.
Why Cristiano Ronaldo is not playing at Mercedes Benz Stadium tonight
Ronaldo will not play for Portugal against the USMNT tonight because he is still out of the squad and recovering from injury, a call made by Roberto Martinez for the two-match friendly window. Portugal’s roster for the friendlies against Mexico and the United States was announced a few weeks ago, and Ronaldo was not included.
Martinez decided not to call him up because the Portuguese striker is injured and currently recovering. The rationale presented is straightforward: it would have been a risk to play him against Mexico or the USMNT because he is not yet 100% match fit. Ronaldo is expected to be back to fitness in the next two weeks.
The absence extends a short recent run without a Portugal appearance. Ronaldo did not play against Mexico over the weekend, and his last appearance for Portugal was in a World Cup qualifier match against Ireland on November 13, 2025. He also missed the last two games for Portugal—one against Armenia due to suspension after receiving a red card against Ireland, and the Mexico friendly because he was not included in the squad.
Portugal’s squad focus shifts to other top names for the USMNT test
With Ronaldo not part of the plan for this window, Portugal will lean on other top players listed by the coaching staff for the match against the USMNT, including Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, and Nuno Mendes. Those players featured over the weekend against Mexico, and they are again central options as Portugal continues its preparations.
The match itself is framed by Portugal as a World Cup-focused tune-up: Portugal will play the United States, another host nation of the 2026 World Cup, in a friendly tonight. The venue is mercedes benz stadium, where the teams meet with a clear goal of sharpening performance during this international stretch.
Immediate reactions: Martinez’s selection call and Ronaldo’s training visibility
Roberto Martinez, head coach of the Portugal national team, has taken ownership of the selection decision by leaving Ronaldo out of the roster for both friendlies in this window due to injury recovery and match-fitness risk. The stance has not shifted from the moment the roster was announced weeks ago through to kickoff day.
Separate from the national-team roster decision, Ronaldo has remained visible in training during the window. Al Nassr shared images of Cristiano Ronaldo during a third day of training after he missed the Mexico vs. Portugal friendly, and he reappeared publicly through the club’s social media on Thursday, with more images posted Sunday shortly after the international friendly ended.
Quick context and what comes next after mercedes benz stadium
Ronaldo missed the Mexico match during this FIFA international window while he recovers from a muscle injury, and that absence carried into the USMNT fixture. With Portugal already in World Cup preparation mode, the immediate priority is getting through tonight’s friendly healthy while key players log meaningful minutes.
After the mercedes benz stadium match, attention will stay on Ronaldo’s recovery timeline, with an expectation stated that he could be back to fitness in the next two weeks. For Portugal, the next developments will revolve around how the team performs without him in this window and whether he is ready to return when he is fully match fit.
