Cristiano Ronaldo — Portugal World Cup 2026 Squad

Cristiano Ronaldo turns up to another World Cup carrying the sort of numbers that make normal player profiles look thin. He is 41, he plays for Al-Nassr, he has 221 Portugal caps, and he has scored 137 international goals. None of that needs polishing. The real issue is what Portugal still need from him in a squad that now has creators and ball-carriers everywhere. The answer is smaller than it once was, but it is still serious. They need him to stay central, attack the box with conviction, pin centre-backs in place, and finish the chances the rest of the side works to create. There is an obvious cloud over the tournament because every Ronaldo campaign now carries the possibility that it is the last one. That uncertainty is part of the attraction, though it is not the whole thing. He remains dangerous because he still trusts the decisive touch in front of goal and because teammates still look for him when the game tightens. Portugal do not need the Ronaldo of 2016 or 2018. They need the striker who can decide one quarter-final or semi-final with a single movement. That version still matters.