A gesture of admiration and respect - Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has included Diogo Jota on his World Cup squad.
The Portuguese ace was killed in a car accident in Spain with his brother Andre Silva this summer, and Martinez wanted to remind us once again how important Žota was to the national team.
- He is our strength. You know that we all go through difficult moments in life, and the loss of Diogo is unforgettable and painful, but at the same time it is our responsibility to fight for his dream. His spirit is a driving force for us - said Martinez, who presented the so-called "27 plus one" list.
That one, of course, is Žota, who was a regular for the Portuguese national team - he played 49 times for "Selasao" and scored 14 goals.
There were no surprises on Martinez's list. Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his sixth World Cup appearance, along with Bernardo Silva, who is leaving Manchester City, Vitinho and Joao Neves from Paris Saint-Germain, and Joao Felix, Ronaldo's teammate at Saudi Arabia's Al Nasr.
Martinez also showed his confidence in Rafael Leao, despite having another disappointing season, and Gonzalo Guedes and Portugal's wildcard Gonzalo Ramos were also called up...
Portugal is the favorite in Group K at the World Cup, where its rivals are Colombia, Uzbekistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
List - goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Rui Silva, José Sa, Ricardo Velho;
Defense: Mateus Nunes, Diogo Dalot, Nelson Semedo, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Gonzalo Inacio, Tomas Araujo, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes;
Midfield: Samu Costa, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva;
Forwards: Rafael Leao, Francisco Conceição, Pedro Neto, Trincão, Joao Felix, Gonzalo Guedes, Gonzalo Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
