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Rarely in life do we get a chance to say goodbye in real time.
The end often comes before we know it’s the case. But, as he enters his sixth and final World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo may be bidding farewell to the world of football.
Five Champions Leagues. Five Ballon d’Ors. Domestic success in four different countries. He also has two Nations League titles and a European Championship.
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Cristiano Ronaldo wins league title in fourth different country after Al-Nasr claimed Saudi Pro League title
What eludes him is the famous gold trophy.
If he doesn’t win it, the World Cup probably won’t be his curtain call. His obsession with greatness means that he is unlikely to let go of the 1000 goal landmark which he is currently 27 away from.
Imagine if he did that. Could there be a better ending?
Regardless, the most capped international player will likely never appear on the world stage like this again. In that sense, it’s a last dance for the greatest of all time.
If this is to end, Ronaldo will leave an impressive legacy at the world’s biggest tournament. A legacy where he may have several milestones to his name, yet remains incomplete.
What records are still to be won?
After this summer, only Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will play in six World Cups. However, if he finds the net at least once, he will do what he failed to do at the Euros two years ago and become the first player to score in six different World Cups.
In terms of total appearances, Messi currently leads with 26. Ronaldo is four behind on 22. It is impossible to think that Messi is not playing for Argentina. But with the slim chance of the defending champions crashing out in the group stage, he could only make it to 29 games.
Ronaldo could surpass that number if Portugal go all-out and appear in every game.
He can also surpass Argentina in the ranking of the oldest goalscorer in the World Cup final. Messi after Sweden Nils Liedholm He was 35 years 264 days old when he netted in the 1958 final.
Ronaldo will be 41 years, 5 months and 14 days old come July 19, meaning he will break the previous record. This is also true for the oldest player in a World Cup final, the current record stands at 40 years and 133 days. Dino Joff.
The final record he can aim for is the oldest goalscorer across all games in the competition’s history, an accolade that currently resides with a former teammate. Pepe.
Does this World Cup define Ronaldo’s international legacy?
Let’s say that Ronaldo claims all the mentioned records. That means he has six records to his name. This is no mean feat. But to do that he has to make it to the finals. If he does not, he can claim three of them. Still impressive, but perhaps not enough to overshadow his relatively disappointing track record in this competition.
Ronaldo never made it past the semi-finals. He reached the final four in the first World Cup in 2006, just over two decades ago.
As for his scoring record in five consecutive World Cups, when you consider that he has scored just eight and failed to score more than once in his four tournaments, there is a sense of wanting more on the face of a generation.
Cristiano Ronaldo completed his only World Cup hat-trick with a terrific free-kick against Spain.
It’s not all his fault. Portugal’s squads in 2010 and 2014 were not particularly strong and were never likely to push through to reach the latter stages of the competition. But that’s where you need superstars to create moments.
What really was Ronaldo’s moment in the World Cup? Only two springs in mind. His undoubtedly magnificent hat-trick against Spain in 2018. Besides, he had that infamous eye after sending off Wayne Rooney in the 2006 quarter-final.
Cristiano Ronaldo was at the center of controversy after Wayne Rooney’s red card in the 2006 World Cup final.
Compare with Messi for example. Not only did he get his hands on the trophy, he almost single-handedly led Argentina to glory eight years ago in 2014.
It is difficult to criticize Ronaldo in any way. Especially when it comes to international football. No one has more caps. No one has more goals. He was inspirational on and off the field in 2016. Yet, at the World Cup, it never happened for him. It is his final time to change this narrative, or it will remain with him forever.
Can Ronaldo hinder Portugal’s chances?
Regardless of his World Cup track record, Roberto Martinez had to include Ronaldo in his squad. Not doing this would have caused more headaches.
However, if he is still emphasized as the be-all-and-end-all of this team’s players, this could be problematic. His pursuit and subsequent failure to score at the last Euro was the talk of the team’s tournament.
Ronaldo had to console teammates after missing penalty in Euro 2024 round of 16 match against Slovenia
The reality is, with stars like Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and Joao Neves coming off their best seasons, there is less need to rely on Ronaldo than ever before.
As stated by Portuguese football expert Kevin Fernandes Sky Sports: “Ronaldo will always be the star, but in terms of football, an asset and not the main hero for Portugal. For his country’s benefit, the most clinical finisher of all time should focus on providing the final touch as an elite poacher, while not looking to disrupt the flow of Portuguese attacks with a relentless need.
“As strange as it sounds, Ronaldo should be seen precisely as an asset – not untouchable, given his limitations in the press and the attributes of teammates to give more dynamism to Portugal’s attack.”
Will Ronaldo want that role this summer? No – it’s not in his DNA. Honestly, no one cares if someone takes it to glory.
If he can score in a sixth consecutive tournament and then hold the trophy at the end of it, no one will remember that he played an inferior role.
They’ll just remember that in his final performance, Cristiano Ronaldo brought Portugal their first World Cup and, if that was it, said goodbye to the beautiful game.
