Cristiano Ronaldo faces a potential blow at the 2026 World Cup as a key Portuguese teammate has reportedly been left out of club plans

Christiano Ronaldo is expected to play in its final World Cup in 2026, with fans hoping the legendary striker can win one of the few major trophies missing from his CV. However, Portugal‘s preparations could suffer a setback, as one of Ronaldo’s key national team teammates is reportedly left out of his club’s plans.

One from the head coach Roberto Martinez‘s main strengths since the takeover of Portugal have been creating a consistent starting XIsupplemented with impactful options outside the bank. One of the players who remained a fixture in that process was Joao Canceloalthough the full-back endured a difficult 2025-2026 season.

According to Sports newspaper, Cancelo is expected to leave Al Hilal due to his lack of playing time. Head coach Simone Inzaghi is reportedly not planning to sign the Portuguese right-back for domestic competitions in January, opening the door for Cancelo to explore options elsewhere before 2026 World Cup.

After suffering a hamstring injury at the start of the season, Cancelo was sidelined for several weeks, and with Al Hilal’s foreign player spots already filled, Inzaghi opted to leave Cancelo out of the Saudi Pro League roster for the first part of the season. The AFC Champions League Elite was the competition in which he played the most, appearing in four matches and recording one goal and two assists.

With Inzaghi planning to stick with the same foreign players he used during the first half of the campaign, Cancelo’s agent Jorge Mendes (who also represents Ronaldo) He is reportedly working to secure his return to Europe under favorable circumstancesas revealed by Sport. With interest from Premier League clubs and Portugal’s top teams, a transfer would likely be the smartest option for Cancelo to maintain form and fitness as the World Cup approaches.

see also

Cristiano Ronaldo makes bold claim of 1,000 goals after Portugal award and Al Nassr performance

Who could replace Cancelo with Portugal?

Despite missing the UEFA Nations League Final Four in June due to injury, Cancelo has consistently found his way back into the Portugal squad. In 2025 he missed six games due to injury, but in the four games he had available, he always started under Martínezwith two goals and two assists, which underlines his importance and how difficult he is to replace.

As for natural alternatives, Nelson Semedo And Diogo Dalot have filled in at right-back during Cancelo’s absence. But in the biggest games, like the Nations League final against Spain, Martínez chose to use midfielder João Neves on the right side of the defense.

Deploying the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder as a right-back has proven to be an effective solution, but it creates a new dilemma over who fills Neves’ role in midfield. Given Cancelo’s ability to operate on either flank, If he is not fit and stable ahead of the World Cup, it could be a major blow to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2026 ambitions.