New concern for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

The Selecao ended their 27-year partnership with Nike and made Puma their next shirt sponsor.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal recently changed their shirt sponsor, ending a long-term deal with Nike. They announced Puma as their new sponsor.

However, with a new sponsor also comes a curse. Only one national team has won the World Cup when they had Puma as their kit supplier.

When Italy beat France in a thrilling penalty battle in 2006, it was the last and only occasion a national team won the FIFA World Cup wearing a Puma uniform.

Since then, Nike and Adidas have dominated the global scene, consistently making it to the finals and winning the trophy.

In the meantime, Puma has fewer World Cup victories than even smaller brands. On the largest stage in football, Puma-sponsored teams have frequently done poorly over the years.

Will Ronaldo’s Portugal end Puma’s World Cup curse?

However, this time, a strong Portuguese national team is carrying the curse in the competition. They will be hoping to end the long-running curse of Puma, who have not been able to see their nations they have sponsored lift the World Cup besides the 2006 event.

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Portugal partnered with Puma, ending their 27-year relationship with Nike.

Will Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, finally overcome the “Puma Curse” and become just the second team in history to win the World Cup while sporting Puma?

The Selecao boasts a quality squad, and their performance has been a testament to their ability to remain top of their World Cup qualifier group. They are going to be among the favourites to challenge for the trophy next year. It will also be interesting to see if they overcome the ”Puma curse” in North America.

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