Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start Portugal’s World Cup opener in Houston at 41, with his role now built almost entirely around finishing chances.
Portugal’s first World Cup lineup is expected to confirm what has become one of the tournament’s most closely watched assumptions: Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, remains central to Roberto Martínez’s plans.
The team sheet for Portugal’s opener against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston is due to be announced Wednesday at about 7:30 p.m., according to Varzesh3. It should also clarify whether Manchester City defender Rúben Dias is fit after an unspecified injury and how Martínez handles a crowded group of wide attacking options. But the largest question around Portugal is less whether Ronaldo starts than what kind of player he now is.
This is Ronaldo’s first World Cup since turning 40. His Portugal debut came in 2003, before Gmail existed, and his international scoring record remains unmatched in the men’s game: 143 goals, 23 more than any other male player, with Lionel Messi next on that list after a hat trick against Algeria cited in the source report.
The case for keeping Ronaldo in the side is still built on production. Varzesh3, drawing on analysis from The Athletic, noted that 44 of his Portugal goals have come after age 35, more than Eusébio scored across his entire international career. Ronaldo has also scored 15 times for Portugal over the past two years.
Martínez has framed the decision in blunt terms. “Cristiano is irreplaceable,” he has said, according to the report. “His numbers are unrepeatable. Impossible.”
Yet the numbers also point to a changed player. Ronaldo is no longer the wide, explosive forward who began at Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United, or even the more mobile central attacker of his Real Madrid years. The report describes a player whose touches are now concentrated near the opposition goal, especially for Al Nassr and Portugal, with far less involvement in deeper build-up or defensive work.
That shift is not necessarily a flaw. Portugal appear to be structured to maximize what Ronaldo still does best: movement in the box, timing, finishing and the attention he draws from defenders. But it does create a tactical trade-off. The source report notes that Portugal have, at times, looked more fluid without him, including heavy wins over Switzerland, Sweden and Armenia in recent years.
For now, the balance appears to favor Ronaldo. The expectation is that he starts the early group matches, while his minutes could be managed as the tournament develops. At 41, Portugal’s most famous player is not being asked to be everything he once was. He is being asked to remain what he has been longer than anyone else: a decisive scorer.
Comments (0)