Bernardo Silva named Portugal captain after Ronaldo’s international retirement

Abdullateef Fowewe

Portugal have entered the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era, with Real Madrid midfielder Bernardo Silva confirmed as the national team’s new captain.

Coach Jorge Jesus made the announcement while naming his 28-man squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales.

The decision follows Portugal’s long-standing tradition of awarding the captaincy based on international appearances rather than a personal choice by the coach.

Silva, 32, leads the current squad with 115 caps.

He is followed in the leadership group by Bruno Fernandes (97), Rúben Dias (84), João Cancelo (77) and Rúben Neves (73).

Jesus noted that all five players had previously worked under him at club level and that the hierarchy would remain consistent.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, announced his retirement from the Portugal national team on 5 November 2026 in a social media video, ending a 23-year international career that began in 2003.

He leaves as the all-time record holder for both appearances (234) and goals (146) in men’s international football.

Ronaldo captained Portugal to their first major trophy at Euro 2016 and to Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

His departure followed recent tensions with Jesus, including Ronaldo’s decision to leave the national team camp in September without permission after being informed he would not start a Nations League match.

The Portuguese Football Federation later fined and briefly suspended him.

Ronaldo’s final competitive appearance for the Seleção came in a 1-0 win over Wales in late September.

Silva, who joined Real Madrid in the summer, paid tribute to his former teammate, describing it as “a great pride and pleasure” to have played alongside Ronaldo and calling him “an inspiration to all of us.”

Portugal host Denmark in Braga on 14 November before travelling to face Wales three days later, marking the first fixtures of the new leadership era.