{"id":3865,"date":"2026-06-15T16:35:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T16:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3865"},"modified":"2026-06-15T16:35:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T16:35:50","slug":"portugal-fans-mixed-on-whether-ronaldo-will-help-or-hurt-teams-world-cup-chances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3865","title":{"rendered":"Portugal fans mixed on whether Ronaldo will help or hurt team\u2019s World Cup chances"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
Portugal\u2019s Cristiano Ronaldo runs drills during the men\u2019s national soccer team training session ahead of their FIFA World Cup soccer tournament Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo\/Marta Lavandier)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. \u2014 It would have been unthinkable at the start of the 2022 World Cup to suggest Cristiano Ronaldo was anything other than the undisputed leader of the Portugal team.<\/p>

Read more Mark Hollis tells AP he\u2019s interested in Michigan State AD job after Kentucky hires J Batt<\/a><\/p>\n

But the Qatar edition went poorly for Portugal\u2019s all-time leading goal scorer. After scoring just once, from the penalty spot, in the group stage, he reacted angrily to being subbed off against South Korea and was promptly dropped to the bench for his team\u2019s first knockout-stage match against Switzerland.<\/p>\n

Then, he didn\u2019t score at all in the 2024 European Championship. It was the first time he had failed to find the net at a major international tournament.<\/p>\n

Now, in the buildup to what may be Ronaldo\u2019s World Cup swan song, concerns over what the 41-year-old can still bring to the national team are at the forefront of many fans\u2019 minds. Portugal opens play Wednesday against Congo DR in Houston.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think in some instances they play better without him,\u201d fan Zach Mallias said at the team\u2019s first open World Cup practice at its Florida base camp. \u201cThere are other players that fit the system better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other fans are worried about the superstar\u2019s ego and whether he would accept relinquishing the spotlight for the good of the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a very big player, he\u2019s very loved by a lot of his fans,\u201d Beatrice Mitankin said. \u201cIt might get to his head.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is some recent evidence, however, of Ronaldo still being able to positively influence games. During Portugal\u2019s 2025 UEFA Nations League run, its second title triumph in that competition, he scored eight goals, including an equalizer in the final against Spain.<\/p>\n

Ronaldo also recently won his first Saudi Pro League title with Al-Nassr, leading his club with 28 goals on the season.<\/p>\n

His abundant experience and leadership are qualities some supporters say cannot be replicated.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not going to shy away from those moments when it\u2019s the World Cup on the line,\u201d Rob Stickle said. \u201cHe\u2019s one of those guys you want kicking the penalty kicks for you, being on the pitch at the end of the game.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Jets agree to a 4-year extension with guard Joe Tippmann, AP source says<\/a><\/p>\n

Ronaldo, playing in a record-extending sixth World Cup, is the oldest outfield player in the tournament but still projects as Portugal\u2019s starting striker.<\/p>\n

Although his age has repeatedly been called into question, fan Ernesto Vilar pointed to other examples of older players, like Argentina\u2019s Lionel Messi and Croatia\u2019s Luka Modri\u0107, as veterans who still play significant roles for their team.<\/p>\n

\u201cAge is just a number,\u201d Vilar said. \u201cHe\u2019s still in very peak physical condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

His teammates and manager would concur.<\/p>\n

Midfielder Vitinha is still in awe over Ronaldo\u2019s physique.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s 41. I\u2019m 26, and I\u2019m not like that,\u201d the Paris Saint-Germain player said through a translator. \u201cIt\u2019s something incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Team manager Roberto Mart\u00ednez has suggested Ronaldo could even appear at the 2030 World Cup, when he would be 45.<\/p>\n

Removed from the conversation about Ronaldo\u2019s production and effectiveness, however, are a group of fans that will always idolize him: young children. Many showed up to watch Portugal practice.<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Stiebel, 10, says she admires how Ronaldo has always been there when his team needs a big moment.<\/p>\n

And 13-year-old Christian Loureiro, whose favorite Ronaldo moment is his overhead-kick goal against Juventus in 2018 while playing for Real Madrid, agrees the superstar forward is still a steadying voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of young players on this team need an older figure to help guide them,\u201d Loureiro said.<\/p>\n

__<\/p>\n

Zach Pascuzzi is a student in the University of Georgia\u2019s Carmical Sports Media Institute.<\/p>

Read more Spanish soccer player Rafa Mir sentenced to 8-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting two women<\/a><\/p>\n

__<\/p>\n

AP soccer: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/soccer<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It would have been unthinkable at the start of the 2022 World Cup to suggest Cristiano Ronaldo was anything other than the undisputed leader of the Portugal team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nPortugal fans mixed on whether Ronaldo will help or hurt team\u2019s World Cup chances - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3865\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Portugal fans mixed on whether Ronaldo will help or hurt team\u2019s World Cup chances - 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