Cristiano Ronaldo is 'essential to the team, he's the striker, the killer', the Portugal head coach, Roberto Martínez, has said. The Portugal captain prepares for his sixth World Cup finals tournament, which begins on Wednesday against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This marks one of international football's longest-running narratives approaching its conclusion.
Portugal's World Cup Prospects
Portugal have rarely looked better equipped to grant Ronaldo the crowning achievement of his career. The question, as ever, concerns who is carrying whom. One assumption seems reasonable: Ronaldo could wield a huge influence over the trophy's ultimate destination. It remains to be seen whether that is channelled positively.
Portugal can field arguably the best first-choice midfield in the tournament, an experienced defence and an admirable array of wide forwards. At the heart of their attack stands, depending on perspective, either a free-scoring icon primed to fire them all the way or a 41-year-old passenger whose presence sucks an otherwise fluent team into an inescapable void.
Recent Tournament Performances
Ronaldo more closely resembled the latter at Euro 2024, signing off with a static performance in the quarter-final against France. At the World Cup in Qatar, Portugal cut loose when he was dropped in the last 16 and scored six against Switzerland. His last consequential interventions at a major tournament were a pair of penalties against France at Euro 2020. It seems a gigantic stretch to believe he can turn the clock back this time around.
Yet there will be something magnetic about the spectacle either way. Fifa ensured that when its disciplinary committee suspended the final two games of a three-match ban he had picked up in the qualifying defeat against the Republic of Ireland. A box-office occasion is guaranteed under the closed roof in south-east Texas.
Opposition and Teammates' Views
'He's probably one of the best players in football history,' the DRC head coach, Sébastien Desabre, said. 'It's a challenge for our defenders and, when it comes to set pieces, he is one of the best.' Whether intentionally or not, he identified that open play tends, at levels higher than the Saudi Pro League, to be a tougher matter for Ronaldo nowadays.
'I never imagined playing with Cristiano, it's a huge honour to be here with him,' the Manchester City player Matheus Nunes said. 'Everyone knows what a great figure he is. If we can win the title for him, it would be something very big.' Bruno Fernandes repeated the word 'honour' when asked about the prospect of accompanying Ronaldo once again.
Martínez's Strategy
The task for Roberto Martínez is to ensure the heavy focus on Ronaldo provides liberation for others rather than a millstone. 'It's his sixth World Cup but I can tell you that, internally, it feels like his first when it comes to intensity, emotions and how important it is to be ready,' said Martínez. 'He's essential to the team, he's the striker, the killer, he can open up space for other players and he's got excellent numbers.'
Martínez is banking on the Ronaldo who scored six times against tough opposition on Portugal's victorious Nations League run in 2024-25. Every element will need optimising if that run is to continue. A blow came when their training session was cancelled because of storms near their base in Miami.
Preparations and Off-Field Distractions
There was further ripple when the team drew criticism back home for spending time at a private beach. It is important to have 'those relaxed moments that are going to be good for the overall experience', Fernandes said. Rúben Dias, who trained alone after picking up an unspecified injury, is unlikely to be risked against the DRC.
By Wednesday the gaze will be back on Ronaldo, who will play in the US for the first time since August 2014. It has been a long time coming but anyone in Houston unable to afford the cheapest resale tickets for the start of his final fling, priced at £929 ($1,247), has alternative options. The Houston Astros will begin their MLB game against Detroit Tigers at Daikin Park, seven miles away, with prices starting at the equivalent of £4.58 ($6.15). It remains to be seen whether Ronaldo, cleared by football's authorities to provide the day's shot of celebrity stardust, is capable of justifying the difference in outlay.
