Cristiano Ronaldo will not be playing in the United States this month. A hamstring injury picked up against Al Fayha has seen the 41-year-old left out of Portugal's squad for their friendlies against Mexico and the USMNT, and the financial consequences for the resale market are already visible.
Al Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed Ronaldo had traveled to Spain for treatment and needed "rest and treatment" — the kind of phrasing that signals this isn't a minor knock. He's already missed league wins over Neom and Al Khaleej, and now Portugal are without their captain and all-time record scorer for two high-profile friendlies in the lead-up to a home World Cup.
What it means for the USMNT match
The US Soccer Federation had been riding Ronaldo's name as a commercial engine for the Atlanta fixture. On Friday morning, resale tickets were sitting around $70 in the upper tiers and above $300 closer to the pitch. Compare that to Portugal's Belgium match the following week — same 75,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium, resale starting at $24. That gap tells you exactly how much of the demand was Ronaldo-specific.
The match would have ended his 12-year absence from American soil as a player. He last featured in a game in the US on August 2, 2014, coming off the bench for Real Madrid against Manchester United in front of 109,318 at Michigan Stadium. He has not played a competitive or exhibition match in the country since — through his time at Juventus, his second spell at United, and now Al Nassr. A November visit to Trump's White House was his first public appearance in the US in years.
For those tracking his World Cup fitness, the concern is timing. Portugal open Group K against New Caledonia, Jamaica, or DR Congo at NRG Stadium in Houston on June 17, with Uzbekistan and Colombia to follow. Ronaldo's availability for those games — and his odds of featuring in all three — are the questions that matter now.
Portugal still have quality in the squad
Absent or not, this is not a thin Portugal group. Bruno Fernandes leads the midfield with his usual authority, and the PSG contingent of Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes — European champions this season — gives Roberto Martinez real options in the middle and wide areas. Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, and Joao Felix add genuine threat up front.
Notable absentees alongside Ronaldo include Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, which strips some defensive and creative depth from what could have been a close-to-full strength squad. The full squad:
- Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP)
- Defenders: Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Tomas Araujo (Benfica)
- Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Samu Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), Joao Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Rodrigo Mora (Porto)
- Forwards: Ricardo Horta (Braga), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP), Joao Felix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceicao (Juventus), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Goncalo Ramos (PSG)
Ronaldo holds 226 senior international caps — the most ever for a men's player — and has scored 143 goals for Portugal, another men's record. He's been captain since 2008. But records don't help a hamstring heal faster, and right now the focus is on whether he's ready when the tournament starts. Portugal's World Cup opener odds may look slightly more open without certainty over his fitness.
