Nuno Tavares Returns to Portugal Squad After Lazio Revival

Nuno Tavares has forced his way back into the Portugal squad, riding the wave of a sharp resurgence at Lazio under Gennaro Gattuso.

A year ago, his future in Rome looked bleak. The former Arsenal full-back had endured a difficult spell under Maurizio Sarri and arrived this season seemingly behind new signing Alfonso Pedraza in the pecking order. Many expected him to drift out of the picture, either shipped out or reduced to a bit-part role.

Instead, he dug in.

Tavares used the lessons from that tough campaign to tighten up the weakest part of his game: his defending. Gattuso saw the change and backed him. The Italian coach restored him as a starter and handed him the freedom to surge forward relentlessly down the left, a role that suits his athleticism and aggression.

The response has been emphatic.

In the 2-2 draw with AC Milan, Tavares was arguably Lazio’s standout performer. He drove the team up the pitch, played a crucial part in the moves that led to goals for Matteo Cancellieri and Tijjani Noslin, and never stopped offering an outlet on the flank. That performance, and his broader form to start the season, has not gone unnoticed back home.

New Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has recalled the 26-year-old for the extended international break, rewarding his revival in Serie A.

Backing Up Nuno Mendes – But With a Real Chance

Tavares returns to a national team where the left-back spot is firmly owned by Nuno Mendes. The Paris Saint-Germain defender is widely regarded as one of the best in the world in his position, and Tavares will arrive as his understudy.

This is no token call-up, though. Portugal face a busy schedule in the latest edition of the UEFA Nations League, with four group-stage matches against Wales, Norway (twice), and Denmark. Rotation is inevitable. Minutes will be there for players who can seize them, and Tavares has put himself back in that conversation.

For the Lisbon-born defender, it is a second chance at a career that once seemed to be drifting.

Sparse Caps, Long Wait

Tavares’ international record is still thin. He has only three caps for Portugal, all of them off the bench. His last appearance came against Hungary in October 2025. Then, silence. No call-ups. No minutes. Just a long wait and a lot of work at club level.

That wait is over now, and it comes in a squad dominated by another headline: the continued presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. Even at this stage of his career, the Al Nassr forward remains the lightning rod for debate whenever a Portugal list drops. This time is no different, but tucked within that noise is a defender who has fought his way back from the brink.

Portugal Squad for the International Break

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Rui Silva (Sporting), Samuel Soares (Benfica).

Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (Barcelona), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Tomás Araújo (Benfica), Nuno Tavares (Lazio).

Midfielders: Rúben Neves (Al Hilal), João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid), João Palhinha (Benfica).

Forwards: João Félix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Al Ahli), Francisco Conceição (Juventus), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Rafael Leão (Galatasaray), Gonçalo Ramos (AC Milan), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Fábio Silva (Borussia Dortmund).

From the brink at Lazio to a recall with the Seleção, Tavares has his opening. The question now is simple: can he turn a second chance into a permanent place in Portugal’s future?