Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing to play in his next World Cup, despite not having participated in the match that secured his team’s qualification. Portugal secured their ticket to next year’s tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, after a resounding 9-1 victory over Armenia on Sunday. Ronaldo, absent from the match in Porto due to suspension, watched as Portugal, without his presence, guaranteed their opportunity to participate in their sixth World Cup, a record. The winner of five Ballon d’Or awards, who will turn 41 at the start of the tournament in June, has expressed that this could be his last chance to conquer the only important title he lacks. It is expected that, if he maintains his physical form, he will be part of the team led by coach Roberto Martínez, although he could face a suspension of up to two matches after being sent off in Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to Ireland. That unexpected defeat forced Portugal to beat Armenia to secure the top spot in Group F. Bruno Fernandes and João Neves’ hat-tricks secured the victory.
Today we saw our team at its best: committed, supportive, and executing the game plan excellently.
Roberto MartínezHungary had the opportunity to surpass Portugal at the top of the group, but suffered a surprising comeback from Ireland, losing 3-2 in Budapest. Both Ronaldo and his great rival, Lionel Messi, will make history by participating in their sixth World Cup if they play in next year’s tournament. They will surpass legends like the German Lothar Matthäus, who participated in five. The defending champion, Argentina, has already secured its place, and Messi fulfilled his ambition of leading Argentina to the title in Qatar in 2022. Ronaldo, who has won the European Championship and two Nations League titles with Portugal, is still looking to add a World Cup to his impressive record, which includes five Champions Leagues and league titles in England, Spain, and Italy. Despite being near the end of his career and having left elite European football to play in Saudi Arabia, he has continued to enrich his remarkable career. He led Portugal to the Nations League earlier this year and, last month, became the top scorer in World Cup qualifying with 41 goals. The suspension prevented him from increasing that figure on Sunday, but Portugal demonstrated their scoring ability in his absence. Fernandes’ hat-trick included two penalties. Neves scored twice in the first half and completed his hat-trick with a goal in the 81st minute.
