"No one can provide that guarantee." That's Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez, asked directly whether Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Not exactly reassuring words for a player nursing a hamstring injury at 41.
Ronaldo marked Eid ul-Fitr on March 20 with a message to his followers on X — "Wishing you all peace and happiness" — the kind of gesture that's become second nature since he joined Al-Nassr in January 2023. With over 106 million followers on the platform, his cultural reach in the Arab world is genuinely significant, and it's part of why his move to Saudi Arabia has pulled so many top players in the same direction over the last three seasons.
The numbers are good, the injury timing is not
On the pitch, Ronaldo is having a strong 2024-25 campaign — 22 goals and four assists in 26 appearances across all competitions. At an age when most footballers are long retired, those returns are hard to dismiss.
But hamstring problems at 41 don't resolve on a convenient schedule. Martinez acknowledged the injury is "minor" while simultaneously admitting he couldn't call Ronaldo up right now because of it. Portugal face Mexico and the United States later this month, and Ronaldo is expected to sit those out, continuing his recovery in Madrid. Al-Nassr's home league fixture against Al-Najma on April 3 is reportedly his earliest possible return to action.
Martinez walking a careful line
The Portugal coach was careful not to close the door, leaning on process rather than promises: "I have a lot of experience in this area... our medical department has extensive experience that allows it to gather all the necessary information to make the right decision."
That's a coach protecting himself — and his options. Whether Ronaldo makes it to the World Cup depends on how his body holds up over the next two months, not on sentiment or legacy. Martinez knows that. And at this point, so does everyone else.
