Hamstring injury keeps Cristiano Ronaldo out of Portugal friendlies against US and Mexico

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LISBON, Portugal (AP) — A hamstring injury will keep Cristiano Ronaldo out of Portugal’s friendlies against the United States and Mexico ahead of the World Cup in North America.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo hasn’t played since February 28 when he limped off the field while his Al-Nassr team beat Al-Fayha 3-1 in a Saudi Pro League match.

As expected, Portugal coach Roberto Martínez did not include the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in the squad he announced on Friday.

Portugal plays Mexico in Mexico City on March 28 before facing the United States in Atlanta on April 1.

Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in men's international soccer after scoring 143 times for Portugal.

The World Cup starts in June.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton), Rui Silva (Sporting Lisbon).

Defenders: Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), António Silva (Benfica), Tomás Araújo (Benfica).

Midfielders: Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal), Samú Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto);

Forwards: Ricardo Horta (Braga), Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting Lisbon), João Félix (Al- Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Sporting Lisbon), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Gonçalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain).

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer