In November 2025, Cristiano Ronaldo surprised the world by shrugging his shoulders when asked by journalist Piers Morgan about his expectations of winning a World cup at 41 years old.
“If you ask me: ‘Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup?’, I will say: ‘it’s not a dream’. Winning a World Cup won’t change my name in history. I’m not going to lie,” replied the star of the national team. Portugalwho also named Brazil and Argentina as favorites for the competition.
“How many World Cups did Argentina win before Messi? They are countries used to winning major competitions. If Brazil wins the World Cup, will it be a surprise? No. If Portugal wins a World Cup, will it be a shock? Yes,” he said at the time. The Portuguese debut in group K this Wednesday (17), against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The speech of the player accustomed to saying, without mincing words, that he is the best in all of history — even challenging Pelé — sounded like the purest diplomatic move or a tactic to ease the pressure on the generation considered one of the most promising in the country’s history.
Used to modest results in World Cups — the best of which was third place with the team led by Eusébio, in 1966 —, Portugal sees the feeling taking over the country that this could be the best campaign.
“Go give Portugal”, says the slogan developed by the Portuguese Federation of Soccer (FPF) in support of the selection. The idea is simple: to strengthen the certainty among fans that dreaming of the unprecedented trophy is, indeed, possible this time.
“Portugal is a candidate and is one of the favorites in this World Cup. That’s what we’ve been saying here, without fear. We have a fantastic generation of players, starting with goalkeeper Diogo Costa, one of the best in the world, but who also includes excellent full-backs, the best midfield among all teams, good wingers and, of course, a goalscorer. If it’s disciplined and collective, the title is possible”, analyzes journalist Pascoal Sousa, from the newspaper A Bola.
The Portuguese arrive confidently at the competition backed by their second Nations League victory in their history, against favorite Spain, on penalties, in June last year. The optimism, however, is mainly anchored in a base that mixes experienced names, such as midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, with trendy young players, such as midfielder João Neves and full-back Nuno Mendes.
The squad also features midfielder Vitinha, one of the best in the world in the last two seasons, and praised attacking options, such as Rafael Leão, Pedro Neto and João Félix.
“I believe that Portugal has the individual talent, conditions and players at the level to fight for the final. I don’t know if this will be confirmed on the field; the attack is very dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo. Everything will depend on the group stage and the confidence that will emerge after these games”, says journalist Diogo Pombo, from the newspaper Expresso.
Cristiano Ronaldo arrives for his sixth World Cup supported, but not immune to criticism. If Spanish coach Roberto Martínez publicly gives clear warnings that the player is untouchable — he has only been a reserve once under his command this cycle —, on the other hand there is a wing that distrusts the greatest scorer in the history of the national teams, with 143 goals.
“Yes, there is an anti-Ronaldo and a pro-Ronaldo wing in Portugal. And with very radical views”, points out journalist Pedro Cunha, from ZeroZero.
The poor performance in Portugal’s preparatory friendlies for the World Cup, under the watchful eye of European critics, put the Al-Nassr player in the spotlight.
The Spanish newspaper As classified him as an “enigma”, highlighting his difficulty in finding the net in matches against Chile and Nigeria. In France, RMC Sport radio defined his performances as “clumsy”.
“What is being discussed is not Cristiano’s presence in the national team, but that his ownership is still indisputable. He is no longer the same player he was, not even the one who became a goal scorer in the Real Madrid. And this is natural given his age. Your reaction time in short spaces is no longer the same”, assesses Diogo Pombo.
In numbers, in fact, Cristiano is indisputable. Top scorer in the history of Real Madrid, with 450 goals, and Champions Leaguewith 140, with Roberto Martínez alone, the number 7 scored 25 goals in 32 games.
“The team has proven on more than one occasion that it is capable of playing as well or better without Ronaldo than with him. Therefore, there are things that have to be on the table and discussed. Portugal has a wonderful generation, which has the conditions to be world champions, and this desire cannot be negotiated because of Cristiano Ronaldo”, analyzes Cunha.
In addition to Cristiano, another point that could cause headaches is the defense. Absolute starter, Manchester City defender Rúben Dias, suffered from injuries throughout last season and does not have a defined partner for the sector. Renato Veiga, from Villarreal, is the favorite for the vacancy, which could also include Gonçalo Inácio, from Sporting, or even Tomás Araújo, from Benfica.
In order not to divert the focus, the Portuguese federation chose a resort in Palm Beach, with a private beach for guests, as well as a luxury structure for athletes.
The team will play its first two matches in Houston, Texas, against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan. Then, the first phase ends in Miami, in the most complicated test of group K, against Colombia.
