Nuno Tavares has received a call-up to the Portugal national team for their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches, replacing an unnamed player who has withdrawn from the squad. The Lazio left-back will join Roberto Martinez’s team directly from Italy, traveling to Armenia to meet his teammates.
Tavares, 25, earns a return to the Portuguese setup having previously earned one senior cap in November 2024. Portugal will begin their qualifying campaign with a match against Armenia on saturday, followed by a fixture against Hungary in Budapest on September 9.
The call-up comes despite recent injury struggles for Tavares, mirroring issues he faced during his time at arsenal. He still managed nine assists in 32 appearances for Lazio last season. juventus winger Francisco Conceicao is the only other Serie A player currently in the Portugal squad, with Milan’s Rafael Leao sidelined due to injury.