"Somebody that has won everything has the hunger of somebody that hasn't won a trophy yet." That's Roberto Martinez on Cristiano Ronaldo — and it's the most honest summary of what the 2026 World Cup actually means for Portugal's all-time talisman.
Six World Cups. Most players don't make it to three. Ronaldo, who turns 41 before the tournament kicks off in North America, is set to line up alongside Lionel Messi as the only players ever to appear at six editions. The rivalry that ran through Clasicos, Ballon d'Or ceremonies and a thousand pub arguments has one more chapter to write.
The record that doesn't quite fit
Twenty-two matches across five tournaments. Eight goals. Solid numbers — for most players. For Ronaldo, it reads like a gap in the CV. His best World Cup run came in 2006, when Portugal reached the semi-finals before France ended it. Since then: two round-of-16 exits, a quarter-final loss, and the Qatar 2022 group-stage mess that ended with him being dropped by Fernando Santos for the knockout round.
The 2014 tournament in Brazil was arguably the low point — Portugal went out in the group stage. Qatar wasn't much better emotionally. Ronaldo arrived carrying the noise of his Manchester United exit, scored against Ghana, and then watched the Switzerland win from the dugout after Santos made the call to bench him. That looked like the end.
It wasn't.
Portugal arrive in form — and that matters for the group
Under Martinez, Ronaldo has scored 25 goals in 30 games — a better rate than under any previous Portugal manager. The team around him has genuinely evolved: Vitinha, João Neves, Bruno Fernandes and Nuno Mendes give Portugal a midfield and attack that doesn't depend on one man doing everything.
After a disappointing Euro 2024 quarter-final exit, Portugal beat European champions Spain in the Nations League final. They arrive in North America with momentum, not just reputation.
Group K offers a manageable opening: DR Congo, debutants Uzbekistan, and Colombia. Portugal should progress comfortably, which means their World Cup odds deserve attention early — this squad has genuine depth, not just a famous name up front.
Martinez describes Ronaldo's off-ball work with the kind of specificity that matters: "those movements, those runs, opening spaces, splitting centre halves." At 41, Ronaldo isn't the same player who terrorised defences in 2006. But Martinez is building a system where that's not required.
Whether 2026 finally delivers the one thing Ronaldo doesn't have — whether it ends in heartbreak again — the fact that the question still needs asking at this point in his career is something in itself.
