Portugal squad to wear Diogo Jota tribute wristbands throughout 2026 World Cup campaign

Portugal’s players will carry a permanent reminder of Diogo Jota into every match of the 2026 World Cup, wearing FIFA-approved commemorative wristbands bearing his name alongside those of the entire squad. The gesture was confirmed after Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates were spotted with the bands during training in Miami ahead of their Group K opener against DR Congo.

The wristbands were a personal gift from Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who presented them to the squad during a meeting before they departed for the tournament. Midfielder Vitinha explained that care was taken to ensure the accessory complied with on-pitch regulations.

“Basically, the story of the wristband is, when we went to meet with the Prime Minister, he offered us this wristband,” the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder told reporters. “They made sure that it was a wristband that we could wear on the pitch. It has all the specifics for us to be able to enter the pitch with it, with the name of all the players plus the special name of Diogo Jota. He let us choose if we wanted to use it or not, how we use it, during the day or during the match. We received it with a lot of affection and we chose to use it.”

Jota, who earned 49 caps and scored 14 goals for Portugal, died in a car accident last year. Manager Roberto Martinez has spoken openly about how the former Liverpool forward’s memory is shaping the squad’s mindset heading into the tournament.

“Diogo is our light,” Martinez told The Athletic. “Diogo is our reference of wanting to do or needing to do what his dream was, which was winning titles for Portugal, like he did winning the Nations League. He was a big part of what we built in the dressing room. He wanted to win the World Cup so it becomes a bit of a responsibility, an example, because Diogo was the pure example of believing in whatever could be possible, always with that tenacity, always finding the answer in the right moment in the difficult moment in the game.”

Despite the emotional backdrop, Vitinha was careful to manage expectations around Portugal’s standing as potential tournament favourites. Coming off back-to-back Champions League titles with PSG, the midfielder insisted the squad must remain grounded if they are to improve on their quarter-final exit from the previous edition.