It would have been unthinkable at the start of the 2022 World Cup to suggest Cristiano Ronaldo was anything other than the undisputed leader of the Portugal team.
But the Qatar edition went poorly for Portugal’s all-time leading goal scorer. After scoring just once, from the penalty spot, in the group stage, he reacted angrily to being subbed off against South Korea and was promptly dropped to the bench for his team’s first knockout-stage match against Switzerland.
Then, he didn’t score at all in the 2024 European Championship. It was the first time he had failed to find the net at a major international tournament.
Now, in the buildup to what may be Ronaldo’s World Cup swan song, concerns over what the 41-year-old can still bring to the national team are at the forefront of many fans’ minds. Portugal open play Wednesday against Congo in Houston.
“I think in some instances they play better without him,” fan Zach Mallias said at the team’s first open World Cup practice at their Florida base camp. “There are other players that fit the system better.”
Other fans are worried about the superstar’s ego and whether he would accept relinquishing the spotlight for the good of the team. “He’s a very big player, he’s very loved by a lot of his fans,” Beatrice Mitankin said. “It might get to his head.”
There is some recent evidence, however, of Ronaldo still being able to positively influence games. During Portugal’s 2025 UEFA Nations League run, their second title triumph in that competition, he scored eight goals, including an equaliser in the final against Spain.
