Nearly half of Portugal’s triumphant Euro 2016 squad will miss the World Cup after coach Fernando Santos made what he said were difficult choices in naming his final 23 for Russia on Thursday.
Centre forward Eder, who scored the winning goal in the Euro 2016 final against France, was among 10 players from that squad omitted from Santos’s list.
Other unlucky players included midfielders Andre Gomes and Renato Sanches, forward Nani and defender Eliseu.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, headed the list for the European champions, who face Spain, Morocco and Iran in a tricky first round group.