“I’m appalled, it’s unfair.” Carlos Forbs called up to the national team for the first time

Striker Carlos Forbs was called up for the first time to the Portuguese football team this Friday, with a view to meetings with Ireland and Armenia, the final teams in Group F qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, announced coach Roberto Martínez.

The 21-year-old winger Carlos Forbswho plays for Club Brugge, from Belgium, which has been a presence regular in the under-21 teammade his debut this Friday in the call-up for the A Team.

The call of Roberto Martinez comes a few days after Forbs was highlighted in the Belgian team’s 3-3 draw with FC Barcelona, ​​in the Champions League, in which scored two goals and assistance.

The presence of the winger trained by Sporting, who played for Manchester City, Ajax and Wolverhampton, took sports commentators by surprise. On the Now channel, Pedro Sousa says he is “appalled” by the player’s call. “It’s completely out of the box, surprising and unfair“.

Without prejudice to the value of the player, says the commentator, “Forbes was unsuccessful at the clubs he played for and only played at Brugge — where he has 5 goals and 5 assists in 9 games, but without having completed 90 minutes in any of them“.

According to Pedro Sousa, Forbs “overtook on the rightwhich is prohibited, players like Geovany Quenda and Rodrigo Mora, who are generational players“.

The commentator does not consider that the winger has a long-term future in Team A, and that his place is in the under-21 team, “where he is a substitute for Quenda and Roger. Ahead of Forbs are still Afonso Moreira and Mora, in that position behind the striker”.

The player’s call-up to National Team A can only be understood, says Pedro Sousa, if “it is for prevent Forbs from being able to choose the Guinea-Bissau team“, as happened recently with Diego Moreirawhich Portugal recently lost to the Belgium team. “Still, I think it’s bad,” says the commentator.

Carlos Forbs has dual nationality from Portugal and Guinea Bissau, and is still able to choose which of the two selections you want to representwhile not aligning with any of them.

The Brugge player also expressed his surprise for the call to selection A. “I wasn’t expecting. I received the news when I just got out of training. It’s every player’s dream to reach the main team. We all work for it.

“I’m very proudbut I confess that I wasn’t expecting to be called up at all, but I work towards it and I am really happy for this occasion to have arrived”, stated Carlos Forbs.

See here Forbs’ assist and two goals in Club Brugge 3-3 Barcelona this Wednesday:

Nuno Mendes out, Cancelo returns

Among the 26 players called up by Martínez, the return of the full-back stands out. João Cancelowho missed the double round in October, with Ireland (1-0) and Hungary (2-2), due to injury, while the midfielder João Neves He is called up again, after overcoming the physical problems that forced him to be released from the national team during last month’s training camp.

Left-back was left out of the selection Nuno Mendesfrom Paris Saint-Germain, who is struggling with an injury.

Portugal will face Ireland, in Dublin, on November 13th, at 19:45 (20:45 local time), and then host Armenia on the 16th, at Estádio do Dragão, in Porto, at 2:00 pm.

In the fifth round, a triumph in Ireland immediately guarantees the national team qualification for the 2026 World Cup, but a draw may be enoughif Hungary does not win in Armenia.

The Portuguese team leads the group with 10 pointsfive more than Hungary, second placed, followed by Ireland, with four, and Armenia, with three.

The winner of the group secures a place in the final phase of the tournament that will be played next year, in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and which for the first time will have 48 teams. The second-placed team will have to compete in the play-offs.

List of two 26 summoned:

• Goalkeeper: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting) and José Sá (Wolverhampton, England).
• Defenses: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United, Ing), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahçe, Tur), João Cancelo (Al Hilal, Ara), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting), Rúben Dias (Manchester City, Ing), António Silva (Benfica) and Renato Veiga (Villarreal, Esp).
• Midfielders: João Palhinha (Tottenham, Ing), Rúben Neves (Al Hilal, Ara), João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain, Ing), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City, Ing), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Ing), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Ing), Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting) and Bernardo Silva (Manchester City, Ing).
• Forwards: João Félix (Al Nassr, Ara), Francisco Trincão (Sporting), Francisco Conceição (Juventus, Ita), Pedro Neto (Chelsea, Ing), Rafael Leão (AC Milan, Ita), Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge, Bel), Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain, Fra) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr, Ara).