Coach Roberto Martinez has officially announced the 26-player squad that will be part of the Portuguese national team preparing for the 2026 World Cup, and Ronaldo's name appears as a matter of course. However, this may be the last time the 41-year-old superstar is included in the official squad for the biggest football event on the planet. It is also his last chance to win the World Cup trophy.

The 2026 World Cup is seen as Ronaldo's last chance to win the trophy. Photo: Reuters

Throughout his career, CR7 has won the European Championship, the UEFA Nations League, the Champions League, and countless other major and minor titles. However, the World Cup remains a blemish that prevents his journey from being complete.

At 41, when most of his contemporaries have retired or moved on to professional careers, Ronaldo is still striving for new heights. He continues to maintain his goal-scoring prowess and boasts impressive statistics. Objectively speaking, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is no longer the most fearsome version of himself for any defense. He no longer has the ability to single-handedly overwhelm 5-6 opposing defenders or carry an entire team through the most intense matches.

But in return, Ronaldo is now playing with the experience, composure, and instinct of one of the greatest players of all time. In a tournament like the World Cup, sometimes just one moment is enough to change everything, and Ronaldo is always ready for that.

More importantly, Ronaldo will no longer have to fight alone at the 2026 World Cup because the Portuguese national team now possesses a generation of talented players, many of whom are among the best in the world in their positions, such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Rafael Leao, and Nuno Mendes.

Looking at it, it's clear that the Portuguese national team is no longer a team that relies solely on Ronaldo. On the contrary, the "European Selecao" has the strength to compete on equal footing with the world's strongest opponents. But one thing even Ronaldo's fans must admit is that the World Cup has always been a place of sadness for him.

Ronaldo first participated in the World Cup in 2006, and he is now about to compete in the tournament for the sixth time. However, he has yet to experience the joy of scoring a goal in the knockout rounds and lifting the World Cup trophy. That is a truly harsh statistic for a striker who always strives for the highest standards.

That "wound" seemed to deepen at the 2022 World Cup, where Ronaldo and Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the less-fancied Morocco. Also at that tournament in Qatar, his biggest rival, Lionel Messi, lifted the World Cup trophy with Argentina. Therefore, the 2026 World Cup will be both a source of pressure and a final chance for CR7 to complete what remains unfinished in his illustrious career.

If Portugal wins the 2026 World Cup, it will be their first World Cup trophy. At the same time, it would be the perfect ending to the career of their great captain, Ronaldo.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/world-cup-2026-co-hoi-cuoi-cung-cua-ronaldo-1041301