Ronaldo Faces Final World Cup Push as Portugal Weigh His Role Carefully
Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing for what is almost universally expected to be his last appearance at a World Cup, with Portugal arriving at the 2026 edition in North America carrying genuine ambitions of going all the way. At 41, the all-time leading international scorer remains the focal point of Roberto Martinez's attack, but the question of how best to use him - not whether to use him - has become the defining tactical debate around the Seleção heading into the tournament.
Former Premier League manager Carlos Carvalhal, a compatriot of Ronaldo, has waded into that debate with a measured but pointed argument: the key to Portugal's success may hinge on how carefully Martinez manages the veteran's minutes. Speaking to Sky Sports, Carvalhal was direct. "The physical situation, if you ask me, the coach can manage better Cristiano. Do not play him every minute. Understand that he will be important for the next game. Maybe he can play just 60 or 70 minutes. This is the theory. But it is important that Ronaldo understands this." It is a pragmatic view of a situation that carries enormous emotional weight - one that has little in common with debates around, say, niche sports markets where fans bet on squash or other peripheral disciplines, but speaks instead to the most-watched sporting event on the planet and one of its most scrutinised figures. bet on squash
Carvalhal, who managed Swansea City among other clubs during his time in England, was careful not to undermine Ronaldo's standing within the squad. "I am absolutely sure that he will play from the beginning of all the World Cup games," he said, adding that the coach is acutely aware of the captain's influence on those around him - his mentality, his drive, the way he elevates the players beside him. The theory of managing his minutes is sound. The practice, as Carvalhal acknowledged, depends partly on Ronaldo himself accepting a modified role in service of the collective goal.
The Ghost of 2022 and the Pressure Martinez Carries
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar left a complicated legacy for Ronaldo and Portugal. Goncalo Ramos replaced him for the knockout stages, scored a hat-trick against Switzerland, and the debate over the captain's place in the side has never fully gone away. Martinez has stood by Ronaldo throughout his tenure, but the episode established that the manager is willing - when the moment demands it - to prioritise the team over sentiment. Ronaldo has responded to that scrutiny in the most effective way possible: by continuing to score at a remarkable rate for his country, netting 25 goals across his last 30 international appearances. Those are not the numbers of a player coasting toward retirement.
Yet the final warm-up match before the tournament, a victory over Nigeria, offered a note of caution. Ronaldo failed to convert several clear chances, and Martinez used the occasion to reinforce a broader point about selection. "I haven't finalised the starting eleven yet," the manager said. "There are plenty of players performing at a high level who can fulfil the same role and do the same job on the pitch." With a 26-man squad in which all players were used across two pre-tournament friendlies against Chile and Nigeria, competition for places is genuine and the manager appears intent on keeping it that way.
Group Stage Opponents and Portugal's Defensive Fragility
Portugal's group at the 2026 World Cup includes DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia - a draw that gives them a navigable path to the knockout rounds without facing a top-tier opponent in the opening phase. On paper, it is the kind of group that should allow Martinez to rotate, manage Ronaldo's load in the early stages, and arrive at the last 16 with the squad fresh and intact. Whether that approach will be embraced by the man most invested in every minute he plays remains to be seen.
Carvalhal, however, sounded a note of warning that goes beyond any individual. "We must be careful in the transition," he said. "There are teams at the World Cup with fast players who can damage us if the team is not balanced all the time." Portugal's attacking depth is the envy of most nations, but defensive solidity in transition has been a recurring concern. A side built around technical quality and forward firepower can be vulnerable on the break, and at tournament level, those moments of imbalance are precisely where knockout football is decided.
Honoring Jota, Chasing History
Beyond the tactical questions, this Portugal squad carries a weight that no formation or selection decision can fully address. The passing of Diogo Jota cast a profound shadow over the squad, and his absence is both a footballing loss and a deeply personal one for players who were his teammates and friends. The group has spoken of carrying his spirit, and their recent Nations League success was framed in part as a tribute to him. The desire to go further - to surpass Portugal's best-ever World Cup finish, a third-place result that dates back to 1966 - gives the campaign a sense of mission beyond individual ambition.
For Ronaldo, it is the final chapter. A player who has won virtually everything the club game offers, who broke the record for international goals, who has defined an era, arrives at this tournament without the one prize that has eluded him. If Carlos Carvalhal is right - if the manager can navigate the delicate balance between Ronaldo's pride and Portugal's collective need - then this final act may yet be his most remarkable. The question is whether, at 41, the greatest of his generation can accept that doing less, at the right moments, might finally be enough to achieve everything.
