Does Portugal need Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 40-year-old is aiming to play in the World Cup next year.
If the 40-year-old retires from international competition before the 2026 FIFA World Cup next year, will it greatly benefit his nation?
It appears from what we observe on the field that Cristiano Ronaldo’s understanding of reality is still warped. The 40-year-old wouldn’t still be making himself available for selection to Roberto Martinez’s side if he were genuinely committed to prioritizing Portugal’s goals as a team over his own.
Ronaldo is the primary cause of the Selecao’s poor performance, which has persisted for at least three years. It is evident that the Al-Nassr star can no longer keep up with the demands of elite-level football, which is entirely understandable considering his age, even though he is still fit enough to score goals regularly in the Saudi Pro League.
The issue is Ronaldo’s refusal to accept that. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star’s reputation as an all-time great cannot be challenged, but by prolonging his Portugal career much past its expiration date, he has seriously damaged his legacy.
Will it be possible to mend it if Ronaldo is prepared to sacrifice himself and give up on his goal of winning the World Cup?
Is Ronaldo’s presence in attack affecting team scoring goals?
Ronaldo played most of the game as a passenger and only had one noteworthy opportunity in Denmark recently (a weak header that he sent wide of the post). He should have been benched for the second leg at Jose Alvalade Stadium because of his dismal performance.
Ronaldo returned to the starting lineup on Sunday, and after just three minutes, he had a chance to defend his spot. After falling easily while attempting to reach a cross, he was awarded a penalty. He then took it himself in his signature style, with his cheeks pushed out and his shoulders back.
Ronaldo appeared to have a bout of self-doubt on his run-up, though, as he faltered before putting a poor effort directly into Denmark’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s hands. Even though it was only Ronaldo’s 32nd penalty miss in 204 attempts, the total lack of conviction will probably make it his worst.
Portugal boast quality attack without Ronaldo
If Portugal didn’t have many options up front, Martinez’s naive faith in Ronaldo could be excused. But that isn’t the case. He is fortunate to have one of the most formidable forward lines in the national team, which has a ton of untapped potential.
Diogo Jota and Goncalo Ramos of Paris Saint-Germain are both excellent No. 9s who are more than capable of replacing Ronaldo. The star of Liverpool, though, hasn’t had the finest club seasons. Ramos is still only 23 years old, and based on his seven goals in just eight Portugal starts thus far, it looks like he might be the primary scorer in the next years.
Martinez has a number of versatile players at his disposal, including Francisco Conceicao, Pedro Goncalves, Raphael Leao, Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto, and Trincao. Portugal’s depth is further demonstrated by the fact that Sporting wonderkid Geovany Quenda is still awaiting his professional debut, and Chelsea loanee Joao Felix isn’t even able to play under Martinez.
Portugal just don’t need Ronaldo anymore; it’s not that they don’t want him. The old generation is preventing the Selecao from developing their fascinating new generation. They still have enough skill to compete for all the top trophies.
Do Portugal need Ronaldo in the 2026 World Cup?
Portugal could almost certainly suffer additional heartache if Ronaldo does make it to the World Cup the following year. The Selecao were eliminated from the competition in 2022 by an underdog Morocco team in the round of 16, and they lost to a subpar France team in the quarterfinals of the European Championship in Germany last summer.
Ronaldo only scored once, that too from the penalty spot, despite playing in all ten of Portugal’s games during those competitions. The Sporting CP academy product sobbed after the 1-0 loss to Morocco.
However, after Santos left, Martinez’s first task as manager was to unexplainably reiterate Ronaldo’s position as Portugal’s most valuable player. Despite his inefficiency in the final third, Martinez only substituted the then-39-year-old once throughout the Euros, against Georgia in a group stage match after Portugal had already secured a position in the round of sixteen.
It’s hard to picture Portugal’s supporters putting up with another season of Martinez allowing Ronaldo to play, as they are probably a weaker team now than they were when Martinez first joined. Even neutral supporters, such as former Chelsea and Netherlands player Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, don’t want to watch Ronaldo fail on the grandest platform once more.
“Football doesn’t need Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup,” Hasselbaink recently told Gambling Zone. “Ronaldo has been one of the best players for a long time; one of the best players in history. I think, at the moment, he’s doing himself more harm than good to be playing for Portugal still.”
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