Nuno Tavares earns Portugal call for 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Lazio full-back Nuno Tavares has been called up for international duty with Portugal, replacing injured Manchester United player Diogo Dalot.

The team finalised its training at the Cidade do Futebol today and is flying out for Armenia, where it will play the first of two World Cup qualifiers on Saturday.

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Diogo Dalot had been originally in the squad, but was forced to withdraw after complaining of muscular problems.

Nuno Tavares returns to Portugal squad

Portugal international Nuno Tavares

He has been replaced by Nuno Tavares, who will travel directly from Italy to Armenia and meet his teammates and coach Roberto Martinez there.

Portugal will play Armenia on Saturday, then face Hungary in Budapest on September 9.

Nuno Tavares is 25 years old and has only one senior cap for Portugal, earned in November 2024.

Portugal’s forward #26 Francisco Conceicao gestures during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Portugal and Slovenia at the Frankfurt Arena in Frankfurt am Main on July 1, 2024. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

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Unfortunately, those injury problems he struggled with for most of his Arsenal career have continued at Lazio, but he managed to contribute nine assists in 32 appearances for the Aquile.

The only other Serie A player in the current Portugal team is Juventus winger Francisco Conceicao, because Milan striker Rafael Leao was already out injured.

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