Under Roberto Martinez, Portugal has won the Nations League in less than three years and is aiming to claim its first World Cup title in 2026. The team boasts one of the deepest generations of talent in Europe—beyond the Cristiano Ronaldo era. Group K, featuring DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia, is manageable, and Portugal is ready for the next step.

Coach Roberto Martínez has named four goalkeepers to the Seleção: Diogo Costa, José Sá, Rui Silva, and Ricardo Velho. Portugal will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, and Uzbekistan in Group K and is considered one of the serious favorites to win the title. In memory of Diogo Jota, who died in a fatal accident in July 2025, the squad officially includes 26+1 players—a quiet tribute to a player who was an integral part of this team.

Costa, 26 years old and born in Rothrist, Switzerland—his father later moved to Portugal, where he ended up at the Porto academy. He has been FC Porto’s undisputed starting goalkeeper since the 2021–22 season and the clear number one for the national team since 2022. With over 40 international appearances, he has become the most reliable constant in Martínez’s system in just a few years. His biggest moment on the international stage so far was the penalty save against Álvaro Morata in the 2025 Nations League final, which helped Portugal win the title. In the current 2025/26 season, he has started in all of Porto’s league matches, achieved a FotMob rating of 7.32, and led Porto to the championship.

Costa embodies the modern goalkeeper: excellent footballing ability, confident command of the penalty area, and nerves of steel in decisive moments. His contract with Porto runs until 2030, which is remarkable given the interest from bigger clubs. The 2026 World Cup is his first, and he heads into it with the momentum of a national team in top form.

Sá, 33 years old and born in Braga, is the most experienced goalkeeper in the trio behind Costa, with over 146 appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers. His career has taken him through Marítimo, FC Porto, and most notably Olympiacos Piraeus, where he became the undisputed starting goalkeeper after winning two Super League titles and moved to Wolves in 2021 for around 8 million euros. In the Premier League, he established himself over four seasons as a solid first-team goalkeeper, despite the club’s difficult sporting situation as it faced the threat of relegation. Despite Wolves’ relegation from the Premier League this year, Martínez kept him on the roster, a decision based on loyalty and trust in an experienced backup. At the national team level, Sá long remained in the shadow of Rui Patrício and Costa; his three international appearances reflect his role as a reliable second option.

Silva, 32 years old and born in Águas Santas near Porto, has arguably had the most impressive season of all four nominated goalkeepers. After years in Spain—with Nacional, Granada, and four seasons at Real Betis, where he won the Copa del Rey in 2022—he moved to Sporting CP on loan in January 2025, before the transfer was finalized in the summer of 2025 for 4.7 million euros. In the 2025/26 season, he played in 32 league matches, keeping 14 clean sheets. He also played in 11 Champions League matches, including both games against Arsenal in the quarterfinals. Silva is the third option, but he offers the most well-rounded season performance of the trio.