Five players that can help Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal win 2022 World Cup

The Fernando Santos-managed side will be one of the dark horses in this edition.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is less than a week away and the focus of every football fan in the world will now shift to international football. The countries have started announcing their respective squads for the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal has announced their squad as well and by the looks of the team, the Selecao go in as one of the favourites of the tournament.

The Portugal team led by Cristiano Ronaldo will look to win their first World Cup in history in Qatar. Ronaldo is considered to be one of the greatest footballers to have existed but this Portuguese team is not just about Cristiano Ronaldo. The squad has star-studded players in every position. With Ronaldo now 37 years old, this might be his last World Cup but this might also be his best chance of winning the World Cup.

Here is a look at five players that can help Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal win the World Cup in 2022.

5) Ruben Dias

A solid defence is a necessity to win any tournament in football and Portugal will be expecting just that from Ruben Dias. The Manchester City centre-back is considered one of the best in the world. Dias took the Premier League by storm as soon as he joined City back in 2020. The Portuguese defender won the “Premier League Player of the Season” in his first season with City along with the Premier League title.

Dias made his international debut back in 2018 and was part of the Portuguese squad that went to Russia in the last World Cup. However, he did not make any appearances in the last World Cup. This time around the centre-back will have to play a much bigger role.

4) Joao Cancelo

Joao Cancelo is another Manchester City defender who will have a major impact on Portugal’s chances of winning the World Cup. Considered to be one of the best fullbacks in the world, Cancelo is a threat going forward and is also very reliable defensively. The fullback joined Manchester City in 2019 but struggled to make an impact in his first season. The next season turned out to be his breakthrough season in the Premier League.

The fullback made 36 league appearances in the 2021-22 season and provided seven assists helping City win the Premier League. Cancelo was also part of the Portuguese team that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

3) Ruben Neves

Ruben Neves is all set to be the pivot of Portugal’s midfield in the upcoming World Cup. The Wolverhampton Captain joined the club back in 2017 when the Wolves were in the Championship.  Since then the midfielder has made close to 200 league appearances for the club that finished 10th in the Premier League last season.

Neves is a defensive midfielder but is also known for joining the attack at times creating an extra threat to the opposition's defence. In the 2021-22 season, the midfielder made 33 league appearances scoring four goals and providing two assists. Neves has made 33 appearances for Portugal and was part of the Euro 2020 squad.

2) Bernardo Silva

Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva will be one of the two main creators for Portugal in the World Cup. The attacking midfielder is one of the biggest stars of the Portuguese squad. Bernardo joined the English champions back in 2017 and since then has won four Premier League titles.

He also played a key role in helping City reach their first Champions League final back in 2021. Silva made 35 league appearances in the 2021-22  season, scoring eight goals and proving four assists. Portugal will want Silva to be in top form in the upcoming World Cup.

1) Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo are already teammates at Manchester United. Fernandes joined Manchester United in 2020 and had an immediate impact. The midfielder is famous for his creativity in the midfield and his lethality in front of the goal. Fernandes has made 100 league appearances for United since joining them and has scored 38 goals.

The former Sporting midfielder didn’t have the best of seasons in 2021-22 by his standards scoring ten goals and providing six assists in 36 appearances. He was also the highest assist provider in the Champions League that season with seven assists. Ronaldo will be relying on his creative abilities to create chances for himself in the upcoming World Cup.