"Luis Figo agreed with the request made by the president of the Portuguese Foootball Federation, Gilberto Madail, and the national coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, to once again represent the national team," it said in a statement.

Figo, 32, announced his retirement from the Portuguese squad in August but he refused to shut the door completely on a possible return at a later date.

Last month Figo hinted that he was on the verge of a comeback, saying that because he wasn't starting regularly for his club he felt less tired and could then return to the Portuguese team.

"I retired from the international scene because I was tired and I wanted to dedicate my remaining years to my club. But as I am not a first choice selection at the moment I have started to think differently," he said.

Capped 110 times by his country, Figo's contract with the Spanish giants expires at the end of the season.

He had been Portugal's standout player for years before his retirement, having scored 31 goals since his debut for the squad in 1991, making him the third-best scorer in the history of the team.

Portugal lead Group Three in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers on 14 points but face a crucial home match on June 4 with Slovakia, who are second in the group on the same number of points.