Portugal announced a strong squad for the Nations League with Ronaldo

The UEFA Nations League is set to begin on September 5, with Portugal announcing their 25-man squad for their first two matches. Team coach Roberto Martinez has included three new players, including Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Ronaldo's performance in the recently concluded European Championship left fans disappointed. The 39-year-old footballer did not score a single goal in the entire tournament. 20 years after his debut at the Euros in 2004, this is the first time Ronaldo has remained scoreless in an international tournament. Due to this performance, many have suggested that Ronaldo should now retire from the national team. However, Ronaldo has said that he is not quitting the game yet and will continue to play for some time.

Coach Roberto Martinez trusted Ronaldo and included him in the Nations League squad. Along with Ronaldo, he also gave three new players a chance. Among the new faces are 17-year-old Spotting Lisbon winger Giovanni Cuenda, Chelsea defender Renato Veiga and Lille defender Thiago Santos.

The members of the Portugal squad for the Nations League are:

Goalkeepers: Diego Costa, Jose Sa, Rui Silva.

Defenders: Ruben Dias, Antonio Silva, Renato Veiga, Gonzalo Inacio, Thiago Santos, Diogo Dalat, Nuno Mendes, Nelson Semedo.

Midfielders: Joao Palhinha, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Neves.

Forwards: Joao Felix, Francisco Trincao, Pedro Goncalves, Rafael Liao, Giovanni Cuenda, Pedro Neto, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Jota.

Portugal will play against Croatia in their first match on September 6 at 1:15 PM Bangladesh time. The second match will be held on September 8, where they will face Scotland. Both matches will be played at the famous Benfica stadium in Lisbon, where the Portuguese team will have the advantage of playing at their home ground.

It remains to be seen how optimistic football fans are about this new team from Portugal. Only time will tell how much the new faces can contribute to the team and if Ronaldo can silence his critics.