Portugal's World Cup team announced with Cristiano Ronaldo chasing history and Diogo Jota remembered

LISBON (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make a record sixth World Cup appearance after being included in Portugal's squad for the tournament on Tuesday, and coach Roberto Martínez also included the late Diogo Jota as a “plus one forever” in a tribute to the player who died last year.

Martínez said Jota will be on everyone’s minds when the national team tries to win soccer’s showcase event for the first time. The 28-year-old Jota, a regular in Portugal’s squad, was killed in a car crash in Spain last July.

“The final list includes 27 names plus one,” Martínez said. “To lose Diogo Jota was an unforgettable moment and a very difficult moment. But the next day it was a responsibility for all of us to fight for Diogo Jota's dream and for the example that he was in our national team. The spirit, the strength, the example of Diogo Jota, the plus one. He will be the plus one forever.”

Martínez picked the 41-year-old Ronaldo and 26 other players to try to give Portugal its first World Cup title.

It will likely be Ronaldo's final attempt at winning soccer's most coveted trophy. It will be his first World Cup since he left elite soccer in Europe to play in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo and his great rival Lionel Messi of Argentina could become the first men to play in six World Cups.

“When we talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, we talk about two players,” Martínez said. “We talk about the icon of world soccer and we talk about the player, our captain, who has the same demands as the other players, the competitiveness to be in the national team. Our captain is an example. We want him to continue with the same level of responsibility and leadership inside the locker room.”

Ronaldo is the all-time leader in appearances (226) and goals (143) for a men’s national team. He is also the only man to have scored in five World Cups.

Ronaldo told CNN in November that this one “definitely” would be his last World Cup.

Also included in the list were Ronaldo's Al Nassr teammate João Félix, Manchester City's Bernardo Silva and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes. Paris Saint-Germain's Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos also made the list.

The final World Cup squads can only have a maximum of 26 players, but Martínez included Ricardo Velho as a fourth-choice goalkeeper who will only take part in case there is an injury to the other three. Martínez said he spoke personally to nearly all the players he left out.

Portugal is in Group K along with Colombia, Uzbekistan and Congo. Portugal opens against Congo on June 17 in Houston.

Martínez said Portugal can be considered a title candidate but should not be included among the favorites.

“The World Cup is not about playing well, not about having talent," he said. "There are many challenges. I think only a national team that has already won the World Cup can be a favorite. We welcome the pressure, it's not a problem, but I think 'candidate' is probably a better word to describe the good moment that we've been going through.”

Portugal won the 2025 Nations League by beating host Germany in the semifinals and Spain in the final.

“Considering the talent and the spirit of our group, we all can dream," Martínez said. "We can dream, yes, and be a candidate, but not a favorite.”

Portugal will begin its preparations on June 1. It will have warmup matches against Chile on June 6 and Nigeria on June 10. It will travel to the United States on June 12.

Portugal squad:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Ricardo Velho ( Gençlerbirliği)

Defenders: Rúben Dias (Manchester City), João Cancelo (Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Nélson Semedo (Fenerbahce), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomás Araújo (Benfica)

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Vitinha (PSG), João Neves (PSG), Rúben Neves (Al Hilal), Samú Costa (Mallorca)

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), João Félix (Al Nassr), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Francisco Trincão (Sporting Lisbon).

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez announces the squad for the 2026 World Cup, in Oeiras, outside Lisbon, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez announces the squad for the 2026 World Cup, in Oeiras, outside Lisbon, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez calls the name of Cristiano Ronaldo when announcing the squad for the 2026 World Cup, in Oeiras, outside Lisbon, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

FILE - Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring at the King Saud University Stadium, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, file)

FILE - Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring during a World Cup 2026 group F qualifying soccer match between Portugal and Hungary in Lisbon, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Trains are set to resume rolling on the Long Island Rail Road on Tuesday after a deal was reached to end a strike that had shut down the busiest commuter rail system in the country.

But commuters in the eastern suburbs of New York City still had to muddle through another tough morning rush hour, as trains weren't set to be running in time for the commute into work after the agreement was reached late Monday.

Limited train service was set to resume around noon, with full service expected to be back in time for the evening rush.

The LIRR still urged riders to work from home again Tuesday if possible. Shuttle buses were being offered from a handful of locations on Long Island to subway stations in New York City.

Five labor unions representing about half the train system’s workforce went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, halting service for roughly 250,000 commuters who use the rail system that connects New York City to its eastern suburbs every weekday.

Hallie Kessler was among the weary Long Island commuters who welcomed the strike's end. With the trains out of service, the 24-year old speech therapist commuted three hours home from her job at a public school in the New York City borough of Queens on Monday.

“Obviously I wish trains would be running when peak hours start so I could avoid the long morning commute, but happy to not deal with it in the afternoon when I’m leaving work,” Kessler said. “Curious what the deal says about future fares, which has been a big concern, but we’ll see.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and railroad officials have said they're not at liberty to disclose details of the new contract terms until they're voted on and approved by union members. But the Democrat, who is up for reelection, stressed the deal won’t increase fares or taxes and will give unionized workers the fair wages they deserve.

The first impacts of the walkout were felt over the weekend, as baseball fans had to find other ways to get to Citi Field in Queens to see the New York Mets take on their crosstown rivals the New York Yankees.

Hochul said the deal ensures basketball fans won't meet the same fate as they travel to watch the New York Knicks continue their playoff run on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, which is located directly above the LIRR's Penn Station hub in Manhattan.

The unions — which represent locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and others — and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had been negotiating a new contract since 2023, but talks had stalled over salaries and healthcare.

The unions have said raises were needed to help workers keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living in the New York City area. The MTA had said the union’s initial demands would lead to fare increases and set a difficult precedent for negotiations with other transit unions.

The strike was the first walkout for the LIRR since a two-day strike in 1994.

Tracks are empty at Mineola train station as Long Island Rail Road workers enter the third day of their strike, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Mineola, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Long Island Rail Road workers walk on the picket line outside of Penn Station on the third day of their strike, Monday, May 18, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Commuters board buses to Long Island outside of the Jamaica–179th Street station as Long Island Rail Road workers enter the third day of their strike, Monday, May 18, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Long Island Rail Road trains sit in the West Side Yard on the first day of a strike, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)