Portugal Vouching For Ronaldo To Play 2026 World Cup, Rift Over? | First Sports With Rupha Ramani

2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. That's the number of FIFA World Cups played by Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo. And with another World Cup taking place in a little over a year from now, will CR7 come out for another shot at glory? Because by the next World Cup, Ronaldo will be 41 years old, an age where the inevitable questions come faster than anyone would like it to. Ronaldo's teammates think there could be another chapter here. I not only believe, but I'm almost certain that he'll be there. It would be great if Cristiano Ronaldo fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup with the national team. Not only for him, but for us Portuguese people. Well, if anyone can do it, it has got to be Ronaldo. The fitness, the agility, the hunger to stay on the football field and deliver all of that when he is 39. More importantly, reports say Ronaldo is likely to extend his contract with the Saudi club Al Nasser. That will push his stay in the Saudi league until 2026. But the question here isn't if Ronaldo wants to play another World Cup. That's not just it. Because he most certainly would come out given his ambition to add the only missing silverware in his cabinet. And if his body is willing, of course. The concern here is will Portugal and his teammate embrace Ronaldo once again? Because recently, Ronaldo hasn't been the most liked figure in the national setup. Yes, despite being the highest international goal scorer and the most popular superstar, you can sense the tension each time Ronaldo enters the field for Portugal. There's hardly any celebration among them after a goal and just watching the way they play with each other, you can tell something is amiss. He is an important player and spent 15 years competing with Messi for the Ballon d'Or. But the peak of a footballer's career is between the ages of 25 and 32. He is an important player for us, but the national team does not depend entirely on him. And it isn't just Cantelo. Two years ago, there were rumours of a rift between Ronaldo and Fernandes, the same Bruno Fernandes who is now vouching for Ronaldo's presence at yet another World Cup. After CR7's ugly fallout with Eric Tenhag, the footballer went on record to slam Manchester United and Tenhag. And just after that, Ronaldo joined the Portugal squad for the World Cup in Qatar. And when he and Fernandes saw each other in the dressing room, this is how they met. You can sense the discomfort and it is understandable. Ronaldo is nowhere near any of his Portuguese teammates. He is absent from Europe's top flight football, while the rest of his teammates are competing back there. Ronaldo almost seems to be living a different life in Saudi, a completely different league with a different mindset. Ronaldo's comeback in Europe only happened when he represented Portugal in the Euros. Unlike the rest of his teammates who interact with each other regularly, because they are teammates or rivals in leagues across Europe. But Ronaldo only comes when there is an international fixture, which makes the distance seem more apparent. So the bigger question is, will all these players embrace Ronaldo once again, rally around him? Because Cancelo, Fernandes both are regular starters in the Portuguese lineup and being key members of the playing 11, will they be happy to be led by Ronaldo again? We really want to give that to our country. For him, as the ultimate reference in our football, it would be the best way to win. Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to win the World Cup. We have to do everything to help him achieve this. It's his dream, the only title he's missing. That is a dramatic change in tone and what brought this on is probably the realisation of how much this means for Portugal, not just Ronaldo. But here's the thing, football in Portugal means Ronaldo. It's been that way for years now. And if the biggest football influence in the country cannot have the most prized trophy, how does that define Portugal as a footballing nation? With another World Cup approaching, players have finally realised the magnitude of this World Cup for Ronaldo. A disjointed setup would only mean heartbreaks like they've had in the past, because the only way Portugal can win the World Cup is by uniting as a team, just like how the 2022 World Cup panned out for Lionel Messi in Argentina. Despite being a football crazy nation, world champions in the past, Argentina had never won the World Cup with Messi. But the whole nation, the team, they wanted to win that World Cup for him. The 2026 one could be the same for Ronaldo and Portugal. That is if he decides to play. From breaking news to the day's biggest controversies, shedding light on the world's top headlines, detailed analysis on the stories that matter the most to you. Catch it all on Spotlight at 6pm India time and 12.30 GMT, only on First Post.