Will Ronaldo's sixth World Cup be his last shot at glory?
European football expert Lars Sivertsen has warned Portugal that Cristiano Ronaldo may no longer be good enough to start at the World Cup. For over two decades, the striker has been a mainstay at every international tournament, but now he is 41 years old, his continued presence may prove problematic. Throughout his international career, the former Real Madrid forward has scored 143 goals and provided 46 assists in 226 appearances - holding the record for the most international goals in men's history. The iconic player has the opportunity to emulate his long-term rival Lionel Messi's 2022 World Cup win in Qatar in what is expected to be his final major competition. Roberto Martinez's side have been handed a favourable route to the knockout stages, placed in Group K alongside Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uzbekistan. However, Ronaldo is not the same player he was in previous editions and has not featured in the squad since his dismissal against the Republic of Ireland in a qualifying match last November. He was left out during the March friendlies against Mexico and United States while recovering from a right hamstring injury. Prior to that, the Al-Nassr striker hit a run of form for his country scoring in both Nations League finals against Spain and Germany to win the title and picked up five goals in World Cup qualifiers. However, during the last two major competitions, Ronaldo failed to score at Euro 2024 and only once against Ghana at the World Cup in Qatar. Super-sub or starter? On Trans Europe Express, European football journalist Lars Sivertsen debated whether the veteran should remain in the starting 11. He said: "It's hard to overlook his goalscoring record in qualifying. It's also hard to ignore how he turned up in the Nations League finals, scoring against Spain and Germany, so it's not accurate to say he can only score against poor opponents. However, we spoke about this regarding Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid. If you're going to have a player in the team who does not work off the ball, that player has to be incredible to justify their inclusion. The player needs to be a reliable game-changer, someone who completely changes the style of play, someone who completely changes your chances. The fact he was goalless at Euro 2024 and scored only once in Qatar gives strong indications that his time at the elite level has passed. I think it's possible he will score goals against the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uzbekistan but when you reach the knockout stages and you're facing stronger opponents and you're going to need all ten outfield players to put a shift in. It's unrealistic to expect him, at his age, to be pressing. I'm not sure he will be a strength." The next generation While the squad remain motivated by Ronaldo's presence, he may be better utilised as a 'super-sub'. However, the iconic footballer has been able to outscore all of his teammates and finished as the top scorer of the Nations League, being a key player in helping Portugal lift the trophy. The World Cup remains one of the only pieces of major silverware the 41-year-old has been unable to add to his collection after he won the Euros in 2016 with Portugal. A new generation of Portuguese talent has started to emerge, with Serie A forwards Rafael Leao and Francisco Conceicao in good form. Additionally, the squad boasts attacking depth including Chelsea's Pedro Neto and PSG's Goncalo Ramos. Joao Felix is another viable option, playing alongside Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and has recorded 16 goals this season in the Saudi Pro League, compared to the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, who has scored 24. Portugal begin their campaign in Houston on June 17 and Martinez has already confirmed Ronaldo will not miss out on a record-breaking sixth World Cup appearance.
