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Ronaldo is a living legend of Portugal. |
At midnight on June 18th, Portugal will kick off the 2026 World Cup with a match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two decades after his debut for the Portuguese national team, Cristiano Ronaldo has one last chance to lay his hands on the World Cup trophy that is still missing from his vast collection.
From the shadow of Quaresma to the status of a "National Treasure" of Portugal.
At Gardens North County District Park in Palm Beach, where the Portuguese national team will be based during the early days of the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo's name is everywhere. Despite being 41 years old, the superstar born in Madeira remains the center of attention, the greatest hope of fans in their quest to win the first World Cup in the team's history.
That was also the only title missing from Ronaldo's illustrious career since his debut for the national team in 2003. After the painful defeat against Morocco at the 2022 World Cup, when he left the Al Thumama Stadium in tears, many believed that CR7's World Cup journey had ended. But four years later, Ronaldo was still present at the biggest football event on the planet.
Few remember that when Ronaldo first appeared on the national team, he wasn't the most promising young talent in Portuguese football. The player who received all the attention back then was Ricardo Quaresma. At the time, everyone said Quaresma was the best. But one day, Jorge Mendes told the Portuguese players that he had a player even better than Quaresma. Everyone thought that was impossible because Quaresma had just moved to Barcelona.
However, Ronaldo quickly proved Mendes completely right. At Euro 2004, Ronaldo's first major tournament with the national team, the young striker made a huge impression with his explosive performances. From then on, he continued to improve to become one of the greatest players in football history.
“Back then, he had a huge personality and an intense desire to win. After scoring in the Euro 2004 semi-final, Ronaldo took off his shirt and shouted emotionally. If social media had existed back then, that image would surely have gone viral,” former player Jorge Andrade recounted.
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Ronaldo has experienced many ups and downs with Portugal. |
The final World Cup dream for a living legend.
More than twenty years have passed since Ronaldo made his national team debut. Time has left its mark on his feet, but his goal-scoring instinct remains intact. Last season in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo scored 28 goals in 30 matches, including four goals in the final month of the season.
Debates about whether Portugal plays better without Ronaldo still persist. However, inside the dressing room, his teammates always show him the utmost respect. Even the second most powerful player in the dressing room, Bruno Fernandes, affirmed: “I know people think the team plays better without Ronaldo. But if that happens, it’s our fault, not his.”
For Portuguese fans, Ronaldo has now transcended the boundaries of a football player, becoming an integral part of the national identity. For the previous generation, Eusebio was the king. But for today's younger generation, Cristiano is the king. Ronaldo is likened to the flag of the country, the greatest symbol of Portugal.
Even Quaresma, who was once considered a brighter star than Ronaldo in his youth, wants to see his old friend complete his collection of titles. Quaresma asserts that the Portuguese yearn to win the World Cup because they want a fitting end to Ronaldo's career.
Andrade asserted that Ronaldo is like a father figure to his teammates. This is understandable, as many of the current national team players were still infants or hadn't even been born yet when Ronaldo started playing for Portugal. According to Andrade, CR7 has long since completed the most difficult part of his career. Even without winning the World Cup, Ronaldo will forever remain a legend of world football.
VPBank is one of the partners collaborating with Vietnam Television (VTV) to bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 to Vietnam. Through this partnership, the brand fulfills its mission of serving viewers, bringing the biggest football event on the planet to millions of Vietnamese fans. And this time, Vietnamese viewers will get to see the final chapter in Ronaldo's international journey. But for Portugal, this is also an opportunity for an entire nation to pay tribute to the man who has spent more than two decades carrying his country's flag to the pinnacle of world football.
Source: https://znews.vn/ronaldo-con-no-world-cup-mot-cai-ket-post1660396.html
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