Portugal will head into the 2026 World Cup with one major question hanging over them – how to solve their Cristiano Ronaldo problem.
Ronaldo has bagged 143 goals and 46 assists in 226 international appearances. He holds the record for the most international goals in men’s soccer history.
However, there have been widespread debates about whether the 41-year-old will still make an impact when the World Cup is staged in North America this summer.
Portugal have been handed an easy task in Group K alongside Colombia, DR Congo and Uzbekistan.
While they will undoubtedly fancy their chances of making a deep run this summer, Ronaldo’s continued presence in the squad is potentially problematic.
Portugal shrug off Ronaldo’s absence
Ronaldo has not played for Portugal since his dismissal against the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifying match last November.
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He was suspended for the subsequent 9-1 victory over Armenia in their final qualifier, before missing the recent friendlies against Mexico and United States with a hamstring injury.
After being held to a goalless draw by Mexico, they breezed past the US courtesy of goals in either half by Francisco Trincao and Joao Felix.
Manager Roberto Martinez has indicated he is likely to return next week and everything points to him being part of the Portuguese squad this summer.
While Football Today and other news publications have questioned whether Ronaldo should play at the World Cup, Benfica manager Jose Mourinho believes Portugal cannot afford to be without him.
Mourinho worked with his compatriot when he was in charge of Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, and is adamant that he should start in North America.
“Take Cristiano Ronaldo out of the picture and Portugal look like any run-of-the-mill team,” Mourinho told beIN SPORTS after the draw with Mexico.
“People keep asking us not to call him up. Well, he didn’t play, and you saw the result. No threat, no fear from the opposition. Just a team being put under pressure by Mexico.
“When Ronaldo is on the pitch, the opposition think twice. Without him, they don’t think at all.”
Martinez is falling into the same trap as Mourinho
Although Mourinho’s support for Ronaldo is understandable, judging how Portugal played without him in two friendlies is an exercise in futility.
Martinez is in danger of making the same mistake judging by comments he made in an in-depth interview with journalist Sid Lowe about Portugal’s recent performances.
“We have to accept there’s a debate because there’s only one Ronaldo, a historic icon who changed football – get in a lift and the conversation is the weather or Ronaldo,” Martínez said.
“Everyone has an opinion but it’s based on a perception of Ronaldo, a period of him. The biggest error people make is not analysing him today.
“After the Euros it was: ‘Portugal didn’t win because Cristiano’s playing.’ We won the Nations League and it’s ‘what will Portugal do when Ronaldo retires?’”
Defending Ronaldo’s underwhelming performances at the 2024 European Championship by pointing out the impact he had in the Nations League is a misstep by Martinez.
In simple terms, the Euros carry far more gravitas than the Nations League. The latter is effectively little more than a glorified friendly tournament.
Martinez would be well advised to pay more attention to Ronaldo’s record at previous World Cups, which does not paint a pretty picture.
He has tallied just eight goals and two assists in 22 appearances at the tournament, which is a poor record for a player of his quality.
Resilience alone will not be enough for Portugal
Ronaldo has played in five World Cups for Portugal. He helped them reach the semi-finals in 2006, but that is as good as it has got on the biggest stage.
Despite that record, Martinez believes Ronaldo has earned the right to feature in a sixth World Cup based on his performances in recent seasons.
“An elite player is not the talent, it’s the mentality, the resilience,” Martinez added. “He’s not the Manchester United or Real Madrid winger – he’s a number nine in the area.
“We depend on him to open spaces, score goals. Cristiano’s last three years in the national team were earned, day-by-day: he’s scored 25 in 30 games.
“I evaluate talent, experience, attitude today, and decisions are never taken in an office – they’re taken on a pitch, football takes them.”
Although Martinez’s support for Ronaldo is admirable, it could ultimately be the factor which prevents Portugal from lifting the trophy this summer.
Ronaldo’s previous record at the World Cup leaves a lot to be desired, while scoring goals in the Saudi Pro League proves little in the grand scheme of things.
A case can be made for Portugal using Ronaldo as an impact substitute this summer, but putting him in the starting XI will not achieve the desired results.
