Who could replace Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal’s national team after the 2026 World Cup? | OneFootball

The answer for this is both simple and complicated. The simple answer is no one. The complicated one is that eventually someone will have to try and attempt to fill his boots. Yes, we know, an impossible task, yet, you can’t play with the men. Luckily, Portugal has a large talent pool, and a generation of kids who grew up watching CR7 create magic on the biggest stage. So, while we remain adamant that it will be more than a  few decades before another Cristiano graces the scene, here are a couple of Portugal rising stars who could be able to at least replicate a percentage of his contribution to the Portugal national team.

Gonçalo Ramos

Ramos is the first answer. While already an established player on the European scene, Gonçalo still has massive expectations to his name as far as Portugal national team goes. After bursting onto the scene for Benfica during the 2022/23 seasons when he scored 19 goals in 30 matches he was bought by PSG for a sum of €65 million. The pressure on Ramos is massive both at club level and for the national team. During his two years in Paris, he has failed to establish himself as an undisputed starter.

With the arrival of Barcola and Doué, and the Ballon d’Or form of Dembélé, Ramos has fierce competition for a starting spot, although coach Luis Enrique has frequently praised his contribution. In his first season in Paris he scored 11 goals in 29 matches. This year he’s been more efficient scoring 10 in 22 but by season end it was evident he is not the coach’s first choice. As far as his national team career goes, he is one of the players who has suffered the most due to CR7s ability to play at a high level into his 40s. So far he scored a creditable 9 goals in 16 appearances for the Seleção. You can take your crypto casino sign up bonus right now, and bet it on these numbers skyrocketing the moment Cristiano Ronaldo announces his retirement.

Rodrigo Mora

Rodrigo Mora de Carvalho could be the real successor to Cristiano Ronaldo as far as Portugal national team goes. The youngster is one of the most talented players coming through ranks at Porto in recent memory. The 2024/25 season was his breakout year for the club as he played in 23 matches scoring 10 goals and assisting 4 more. As far as his national selection career goes, Rodrigo Mora was the top scorer for Portugal U17s at the 2024 EURO, making his mark early in his career despite Portugal losing to Italy in the final. He has already been called up for the senior national team for the Nations League Final but he failed to make an appearance.

Mora is an attacking midfielder who also plays as an inverted winger, able to control the tempo of the game, assist, and be a secondary goal threat. While with his build he looks more like Lionel Messi than Cristiano Ronaldo, we are sure that he is going to make a name for himself both on the club and national football scene. We are expecting Rodrigo Mora to make his debut for the national team  in coming months, despite facing heavy competition in Rafael Leão, João Félix, Diogo Jota, Francisco Conceição, and Pedro Neto. Mora has the potential and in the future, we can see him leading the new generation of Portugal players the same way CR7 did.

Tomás Soares

Soares is a name that we will hear more about in the future. Yet, remember, you heard about him first here. Tomás started his youth career with SC Freamunde, and continued it with Benfica, where he became a Portugal international in youth teams. His ascension has been a notable one, as he managed to score goals regardless of the age group he’s been playing with. Soares played for U15 teams, scoring 5 goals in 7 appearances. He moved to U16s appearing in 6 matches and scoring 5, and eventually he made strides with the U17 team scoring 7 in 8 appearances. He is a national team legend in the making, and in the future we can see him carrying the mantle of a national team hero just as Cristiano did. He is yet to make his full Benfica debut having been with the team for almost a decade since 2026. For their U19 team he scored 6 goals in 6 appearances in Portugal’s U19 championship, showing that he is not shy of being one of the most efficient goal-scorers out there.

Portugal’s national team has a bright future lying ahead with the likes of Rodrigo Mora and Tomás Soares waiting in the shadows, and Gonçalo Ramos already looking to establish himself as an attacking leader. With the likes of Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leão, and João Félix just entering their primes, Portugal has enough quality to wait for these youngsters to establish themselves at international level.