Ronaldo's last time
When Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first career goal at the World Cup (2006), Lamine Yamal hadn't even been born yet.
After two decades of involvement with the World Cup, Ronaldo became the first player in history to score in five consecutive tournaments. At the 2026 World Cup, Portugal will be in the same group as Congo, Colombia, and Uzbekistan. It is almost certain that the 41-year-old striker will score in six consecutive tournaments, a record that will take a very long time for anyone to approach, let alone surpass.
With 22 matches, 8 goals, and 3 assists, no Portuguese player has been involved in more World Cup goals than Ronaldo. Since the legendary "Black Panther" Eusebio, Portugal has not had another outstanding striker capable of carrying the entire team forward.
Ronaldo is preparing for his sixth World Cup.
PHOTO: REUTERS
However, the last time Portugal reached the World Cup semi-finals was in 2006, under coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. At that time, Ronaldo was only 21 years old, still a young player. Since CR7 reached the peak of his career, Portugal has not returned to the World Cup semi-finals again. The team was eliminated in the round of 16 in 2010, 2018, the group stage in 2014, and the quarter-finals in 2022. The tournament where Ronaldo left his biggest mark was the 2018 World Cup, with 4 goals, including a hat-trick against Spain on the opening day. He then scored another goal to help Portugal beat Morocco. However, when Portugal was eliminated by Uruguay in the round of 16, Ronaldo was powerless against the duo of Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez, the "guardians" from Atletico Madrid whom he had beaten many times while playing for Real Madrid.
Ronaldo has "champion DNA," but Portugal doesn't. The team in maroon jerseys has only two World Cup titles in its history: EURO 2016 and the 2019 Nations League. Both titles came when Ronaldo was captain and at the peak of his form. However, Portugal lacked the fighting spirit to win the World Cup, a competition that is inherently much more demanding.
The common thread among World Cup champions from 1998 to the present is that they either possessed a generation of talented players who flourished together (France 1998, 2018, Brazil 2002, Spain 2010, Germany 2014), or they had experience and resilience (Italy 2006, Argentina 2022).
Portugal has never had either of these elements. And by the time the "European Brazil" truly had a powerful generation, like Nuno Gomes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes... Ronaldo was already past his prime.
Racing against time
No one can defeat time, not even a "superman" like Ronaldo, whose training intensity, hard work, dedication, and perfectionism are unmatched.
Winning the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr was a well-deserved reward for the Portuguese superstar's efforts, but it doesn't negate the reality: Ronaldo has declined. The former Real Madrid striker can no longer keep up with the pace of top-level football, lacking the agility, physical strength, acceleration, and especially the trademark dribbling skills of his youth.
Ronaldo is not the same as he used to be.
PHOTO: REUTERS
However, Portugal hasn't abandoned its captain. Coach Roberto Martinez insists Ronaldo deserves to play in the World Cup. In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Ronaldo still played 5 matches, scoring 5 goals, with a total playing time of 372 minutes. On average, he played 74.4 minutes per match. As long as he's healthy, Ronaldo will be a starter.
Against teams like Uzbekistan or Congo, Ronaldo is still capable of scoring. With the support of one of the world's strongest midfield lineups, where Bruno Fernandes holds the Premier League assist record (21 assists), and Vitinha and Joao Neves recently won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, Ronaldo can do what he does best: position himself in the penalty box and unleash a shot. However, as the tournament progresses and the opponents become stronger, coach Martinez needs to reconsider Ronaldo's positioning.
"Even from the previous World Cup, Ronaldo showed himself to be a burden. When he was dropped from the starting lineup to make way for Goncalo Ramos in the match against Switzerland, Portugal transformed with 6 goals, and Ramos scored a hat-trick. Yet, the fans in the stands still chanted Ronaldo's name. This is proof that a part of modern football is obsessed with individual fame and showmanship."
"The biggest risk is that Ronaldo's presence could mean a generation of talented and promising Portuguese creative midfielders never get a real chance to be unleashed," commented The Guardian , explaining why it called Ronaldo a "straitjacket" holding Portugal back.
The 2026 World Cup is Ronaldo's last chance to conquer the only major title he's missing. To do so, CR7 needs to accept a more humble role, first and foremost by scoring his first knockout-round goal in his career. After that, the glorious moment that was previously just a "dream" for Portugal can finally come.