Bernardo Silva évoque son admiration pour Modrić

Jorge Jesus has named a 28-man squad for Portugal's upcoming fixtures, hosting Denmark on 14 November before travelling to face Wales on 17 November. These clashes conclude their Group A4 campaign, with the reigning champions having already sewn up top spot and sealed qualification for the knockout phase.

Among those included are Vitinha, who continues to shine under Luis Enrique at PSG, and Joao Felix, currently playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. A familiar core of regulars is bolstered by two notable recalls: Antonio Silva, now plying his trade at Bournemouth, and Roma midfielder Rodrigo Mora.

Tasked with shouldering the attacking burden in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, Jorge Jesus has kept faith with Goncalo Ramos. Despite enduring a leaner patch at AC Milan, the striker has proven his pedigree on the international stage, netting three goals across his opening four Nations League appearances, two of which proved decisive.

There is also a maiden senior call-up for Gustavo Varela, who steps up from the Under-21 ranks following a blistering run of form for Monza. The forward has been one of the standout revelations in Serie A this term, registering nine goals in as many matches and finding the target in four successive league outings.

The selection comes in the wake of Thursday's seismic news that Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has officially announced his retirement from international football as Portugal's all-time leading scorer. The decision reportedly stemmed from a rift with Jorge Jesus, which saw the veteran forward walk out of the training camp on 30 October. Following his departure, Bernardo Silva will take over the captain's armband from this international window onwards.

Prior to the squad announcement and Jorge Jesus's press conference at the Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras, on the outskirts of Lisbon, the federation screened a tribute video celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo's extraordinary career and his indelible mark in the colours of the Selecao.

Portugal's full squad list:

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting), Samuel Soares (Benfica).

Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Alberto Costa (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Tomas Araujo (Benfica), Antonio Silva (Bournemouth), Nuno Tavares (Lazio).

Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Joao Palhinha (Benfica), Mateus Fernandes (Tottenham), Joao Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid).

Forwards: Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Francisco Trincao (Al Ahli), Rafael Leao (Galatasaray), Geovany Quenda (Chelsea), Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge), Joao Felix (Al Nassr), Goncalo Ramos (AC Milan), Fabio Silva (Borussia Dortmund), Gustavo Varela (Monza), Rodrigo Mora (Roma).