Portugal: What Jorge Jesus will change despite keeping World Cup core

Jorge Jesus has made only four changes to Portugal's World Cup squad for his first international window, but the new head coach has promised a "completely different" team as he prepares to begin his reign against Wales.

Portugal's first selection under Jesus looks, on the surface, remarkably familiar.

Samuel Soares, Nuno Tavares, Joao Palhinha and Fabio Silva are the only players added to the group that competed at the 2026 World Cup, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and the majority of the established core remain involved.

That continuity should not be mistaken for tactical conservatism.

Jesus has made clear that he does not intend simply to reproduce Roberto Martinez's Portugal with a different voice on the touchline.

"He had one idea and I have another completely different one," the 72-year-old said when announcing his first squad.

The challenge now is translating that difference onto the pitch with limited preparation time before Thursday's Nations League meeting with Wales.

Same Portugal core, but a very different tactical idea

Martinez generally favoured structured positional football, with players given defined zones and responsibilities within 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 shapes.

Jesus has traditionally worked with considerably more movement around the ball.

His teams look to create combinations through players moving closer together, while attacking roles can become more interchangeable than their starting positions suggest.

That could be particularly relevant for a Portugal squad containing Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leao, Joao Felix and Francisco Trincao.

Jesus has also shown a preference for using two forwards, opening the possibility of Portugal moving away from the single-striker structures seen regularly under Martinez.

Felix could become one of the main beneficiaries.

Jesus has already made clear that he does not view the Al-Nassr attacker as a conventional winger.

"Joao Felix will always be a second striker or a first striker with me," Jesus said.

"With time, he can become a first striker. I have no doubts. He has finishing ability and creativity, with a lot of quality."

That approach could also alter the areas occupied by Fernandes.

The Manchester United midfielder has the creativity and movement to operate behind or around a front two, rather than being tied to one fixed midfield position.

Jesus has not yet revealed exactly how those attacking pieces will fit together, but his comments suggest that freedom and proximity between players will become increasingly important.

There will still need to be structure behind them.

The Portugal boss has specifically spoken about wanting a more positional midfielder with the tactical awareness to understand both the attacking and defensive phases.

Vitinha, Ruben Neves and returning Benfica midfielder Palhinha are among the candidates for that responsibility.

Ronaldo remains involved but reputation will not guarantee starts

Jesus's tactical changes inevitably raise another major question: where Ronaldo fits into the new structure.

The 41-year-old remains in the squad after confirming that the 2026 tournament would be his final World Cup, but he has not retired from international football. His inclusion in Jesus's first squad therefore ended immediate speculation over his Portugal future.

Jesus has nevertheless insisted that his captain's history will not determine selection.

"Cris is a player like all the others," he said.

"If he performs, he plays. If he doesn't perform, he doesn't play. That is how I work with everyone."

Jesus acknowledged Ronaldo's unique standing as a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, but maintained that reputation would not influence his decisions.

That could make the increased competition for central attacking positions particularly significant.

Felix is being considered as a second striker or future number nine, while Goncalo Ramos and Fabio Silva provide further options.

Leao, Neto and Trincao also give Jesus multiple ways of constructing an attack around - or potentially without - Ronaldo.

For Thursday, however, Sports Mole expects Ronaldo to remain at the tip of Portugal's attack, with Pedro Neto and Joao Felix among the candidates to support him.

The new manager is therefore beginning with continuity rather than a clear-out.

He already knows a significant number of the players from his club career and has opted against making wholesale changes immediately after Portugal's disappointing World Cup campaign under Martinez.

What he intends to change first is how those players relate to one another.

Jesus has admitted that international football gives him little time to install his methods and that the process will need to be accelerated through both training and tactical work away from the pitch.

Thursday's meeting with Wales should provide the first evidence of how substantial that transformation will be.

The names may be almost the same.

Jesus has made it clear that he does not expect Portugal to play the same way.