Ronaldo, muscles and form.
Photos of Cristiano Ronaldo shirtless on Palm Beach have been widely circulated in the media in recent days. At 41 years old, his physique remains a marvel.
His toned muscles, extremely low body fat percentage, and near-perfect professionalism continue to help the Portuguese superstar maintain a physique that many young players would envy.
But as the 2026 World Cup heats up, what Portuguese fans care about isn't what Ronaldo looks like.
The Portuguese want to know if he can still score goals. That's a perfectly valid question.
In the final friendly match before the 2026 World Cup against Nigeria, Ronaldo had an unproductive evening.
Right at the start of the match, he had a chance to face the goalkeeper after a familiar run down the wing. In the past, that situation would have almost certainly resulted in a goal. But this time, Ronaldo shot wide.
Portugal still won 2-1, but that missed opportunity became a quintessential image of the captain's unconvincing performance. The local press dubbed him "clumsy Ronaldo" or "frustrated Ronaldo" after the match.
A Bola commented harshly: “What a waste! Ronaldo’s embarrassing miss in the match against Nigeria.”
Ronaldo has failed to score in three consecutive matches for the national team. More broadly, he has been goalless in four of his last five appearances for Portugal.
Those numbers aren't enough to conclude that Ronaldo is past his prime, but they clearly reflect a decline in his ability to convert chances at the most crucial moments.
Portugal currently boasts one of the most talented generations in history. Bruno Fernandes is the best in the Premier League, Bernardo Silva was the heart and soul of Man City before moving to Real Madrid, Joan Neves and Vitinha helped PSG win the Champions League for the second consecutive season…
These talented players could create many opportunities for Ronaldo. The question is whether CR7 still has the sharpness to finish them off.
A lackluster performance at the World Cup.
World Cup history is against CR7. He is one of the greatest players in history, but he has never shown that the World Cup stage belongs to him.
In 2006, he scored one goal. Four years later in South Africa, it was still just one goal, nothing more. At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he was jokingly called "CR1," after witnessing his team's elimination from the group stage.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia is considered Ronaldo's most successful tournament, as he scored four goals, including a memorable hat-trick against Spain. However, Portugal was eliminated in the round of 16, and he remained silent on the tournament.
At Qatar 2022, where Lionel Messi triumphed with Argentina, Ronaldo only scored one goal from a penalty against Ghana. He lost his place in the knockout round and clashed with coach Fernando Santos.
Ronaldo has participated in five World Cups but only surpassed the one-goal mark once. These numbers are poor compared to the Champions League, especially for someone approaching 1,000 goals.
Therefore, the 2026 World Cup is even more special (and stressful). No one is waiting for Ronaldo to prove his greatness anymore. Debates about his place in history have long since ended.
What's missing from Ronaldo's collection is the World Cup trophy and a truly memorable campaign on the biggest stage on the planet.
Now or never
This could be the strongest Portugal team he's ever played for, and also almost his last chance.
At the 2030 World Cup, marking the tournament's 100th anniversary and with Portugal as one of the host nations, Ronaldo will be 45 years old, and even for someone who constantly pushes boundaries like him, top-level football may not be waiting any longer.
Therefore, this World Cup is no longer about individual records or age milestones, but a race against time for the coveted gold trophy.
The images on the Florida beach might impress the world . But when it comes to the match, people won't remember how many abs Ronaldo has, but how many goals he scores and how far he takes Portugal.
Now or never. To conclude his career with the most perfect final chapter, Ronaldo needs to do what he has done for over two decades: score goals. And if possible, bring the World Cup trophy home.
Otherwise, fans will sigh again, thinking Ronaldo went to America just for a summer vacation, sightseeing , and showing off his abs.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ronaldo-mo-vo-dich-world-cup-van-may-cuoi-cung-2526118.html
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