Cristiano Ronaldo named in Portugal squad set to face Slovakia and Bosnia & Herzegovina in EURO qualifiers

Cristiano Ronaldo has been selected by Roberto Martinez in Portugal's squad for upcoming Euro 2024 qualifying action.

Martinez has named his 26-man squad that will battle Slovakia on Friday (October 13) and Bosnia and Herzegovina three days later. Ronaldo has made the cut amid his scintillating start to the Saudi Pro League season.

The Al-Nassr has bagged 11 goals and six assists in 10 games across competitions. He won the Saudi Pro League Player of the Month in August and September.

The 38-year-old has also enjoyed a superb Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with Portugal thus far. The iconic forward netted five goals in as many games with Selecao.

Martinez's men are on the cusp of booking their place at the European Championships in Germany next year. A win against Slovakia and a loss for Luxembourg against Iceland will book their ticket to the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo didn't play Portugal's 9-0 mauling of Luxembourg last time out as he was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. However, he moved close to becoming the first player to qualify for his sixth European Championship.

Martinez's squad to face Slovakia and Bosnia include:

Goalkeepers:

Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Rui Patricio.

Defenders:

Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Nelson Semedo, Raphael Guerreiro, Antonio Silva, Danilo Pereira, Goncalo Inacio, Ruben Dias, Toti Gomez.

Midfielders:

Joao Palhinha, Joao Neves, Ruben Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Otavio, Vitinha.

Attackers:

Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leao, Cristiano Ronaldo, Goncalo Ramos.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic questions Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to join Al-Nassr

Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired while at AC Milan in June.

The football world was shocked when Cristiano Ronaldo opted to join Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr in January. The Portugal captain was a free agent after the mutual termination of his contract with Manchester United in November 2022.

Ronaldo is reportedly sitting on a two-and-a-half-year deal, earning £173 million a year, per Metro. He's the highest-paid player in world football and his arrival in Saudi soon lured more world-class talent such as Karim Benzema to the Middle East. Their decisions to do so have often been said is money-motivated.

AC Milan legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic has suggested that such players should look to end their careers on the big stage. He told Piers Morgan Uncensored (via GOAL):

"You have to be remembered for your talent, not for what you earned. Because if you were remembered in the opposite way, what we are training every day for, what we are being recognised for, is our talent and that's what you want to be remembered for."

Ronaldo has said that the Saudi Pro League is growing into one of the biggest competitions in world football. It's not just veteran stars heading to Saudi but also younger talent such as Gabri Veiga.