Cristiano Ronaldo's sixth and likely final World Cup will be the first for the Portugal great since he left Europe to play in Saudi Arabia. The surprise move in late 2022 shocked many in the soccer world and prompted widespread doubts about whether his form would be affected by facing lower-level competition. But Ronaldo, who turned 41 in February, has dismissed any notion of a drop in performance going into next month's showcase event. And, to help make his case, the goals have kept coming, both for Al Nassr and with Portugal.
Portugal coach Roberto Martínez said Ronaldo is as hungry as ever and doesn't see any signs that the star forward has slowed down after moving to Saudi Arabia. “He keeps performing and he keeps showing his value and he keeps showing that (he) is important for the national team,” Martínez said. “To have that hunger when you’ve won everything in the game is quite remarkable. And that’s without getting away from the fact that to be in the national team you need to be somebody that can help the team now and not with what you’ve done in the past.”
Ronaldo and his long-time rival Lionel Messi are set to reach the milestone of playing in six World Cups. Ronaldo is the all-time leader in appearances (226) and goals (143) for a men's national team. He is also the only man to have scored in five World Cups. “Even though he’s the captain, even though probably he’s achieved what no other player in world football has achieved, which is the number of games for the national team, over 225 appearances, just with that number is a uniqueness about what he brings, but I think he has the same demands as any other player in the national team,” Martínez said.
Ronaldo made the move to Saudi Arabia in the middle of the 2022-23 season after his latest stint with Manchester United, rejecting other offers to take up a reported salary of $200 million a year and “give a different vision of this country and football.” Ronaldo said at the time his work in Europe was done and he was ready for a “new challenge.” Criticism immediately began to pour in, with many fans and pundits not liking what appeared to be his choice of taking the big Saudi money instead of continuing his career in elite soccer. Some said he was virtually retiring from competitive soccer.
Ronaldo has constantly praised the Saudi league, though, saying it's better than both the French and the Portuguese leagues. He said those who criticize him should go there and try to compete in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and keep performing like he has. “I don’t need to speak because they can say whatever they want, but the numbers don’t lie,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Piers Morgan last year. “They've never been here, they've never played here ... For me it’s (easier) to score in Spain than score in Saudi (league).”
Ronaldo's move away from Europe did not appear to affect his performances on the international stage with Portugal. He has kept playing at a high level since then, scoring 25 goals in his last 30 games with the national team. Ronaldo went scoreless in five European Championship games in 2024 as Portugal reached the quarterfinals. In 2025, about two and a half years after he started playing in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo helped Portugal win the Nations League title, with one of his eight goals in the competition coming in the final against Spain. That triumph underscored his enduring value in big matches, even as he aged.
Ronaldo has maintained a top-notch physical condition despite just having turned 41. He was hindered by a hamstring injury sustained in late February but recovered quickly. On May 7, he was scoring his 100th Saudi Pro League goal in his 105th league appearances for Al Nassr, which has a chance to win its first league title since 2019. “All the efforts (Cristiano) makes and what he does on the pitch, which he has experienced more than all of us together, which he puts in every day and every game, is unique,” João Félix, Ronaldo’s teammate with both Al Nassr and Portugal, told the Saudi Pro League earlier this year. “And that we see him, at 40 years old, doing what he does, only gives us more motivation.”
Ronaldo's statistics in Saudi Arabia are staggering. He scored 14 goals in 16 matches in his debut season in 2022-23. In his first full season, he netted 35 goals in 31 games, setting a new scoring record in the league. Al Nassr won its first Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023 thanks to a pair of goals by Ronaldo in the final. In the 2024-25 season, Ronaldo scored 25 goals in 30 matches, and so far this season he has found the net 26 times in 29 appearances. He was the league’s top scorer in both of his first two full seasons, and now is five goals shy of Al Ahli’s Ivan Toney. These numbers demonstrate that his finishing ability, positioning, and athleticism have not waned in a less competitive environment.
Ronaldo's longevity is unprecedented. He has played at the highest level for two decades, winning five Ballon d'Or awards, five Champions League titles, and one European Championship with Portugal. His move to Saudi Arabia was criticized as a step down, but he has used it as a platform to continue playing regularly and to maintain his fitness. He has also become a global ambassador for Saudi football, drawing other stars like Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mané to the league. Critics argue that the league lacks the intensity of Europe's top divisions, but Ronaldo's goal tallies suggest that class is permanent.
For Portugal, Ronaldo remains the focal point. His leadership and experience are invaluable in a squad that includes younger talents like João Félix, Rafael Leão, and Bruno Fernandes. The Nations League victory in 2025 showed that Portugal can win trophies with Ronaldo leading the line, but questions persist about whether his style fits modern tactical demands. Coach Martínez has managed to integrate Ronaldo effectively, using him as a central striker while allowing creative players to operate around him. Ronaldo's movement off the ball and ability to finish chances make him a constant threat.
This World Cup will be held in North America, with matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Portugal is drawn in Group H alongside Uruguay, South Korea, and Iran. The group is competitive, but Portugal is expected to advance. If Ronaldo can replicate his form from the 2018 World Cup, where he scored a hat-trick against Spain, or his performances in qualifying, he could lead Portugal deep into the tournament. He has said that this will definitely be his last attempt at winning the World Cup, driving him to leave everything on the pitch.
Ronaldo's psychological resilience is as remarkable as his physical attributes. He has faced criticism throughout his career, from his early days at Sporting Lisbon to his stints at Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and back to United. Each time, he has responded by elevating his performances. The Saudi move was perhaps the most criticized, as many believed it marked the end of his relevance at the elite level. However, Ronaldo has used the doubt as fuel, and his continued selection for Portugal proves that his national team coach still values him.
Off the pitch, Ronaldo remains a commercial juggernaut. He has the largest following on Instagram among athletes, and his endorsement deals with companies like Nike, Binance, and his own CR7 brand generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually. His move to Saudi Arabia was partly motivated by a desire to expand his business interests in the Middle East, and he has become a cultural icon in the region. He frequently participates in charitable activities and has donated to various causes in Portugal and abroad.
As Ronaldo prepares for his sixth World Cup, the narrative is familiar: can he silence his doubters one more time? At 41, he is defying conventional aging curves. He no longer has the explosive pace of his youth, but he has refined his game to rely on positional awareness, timing, and lethal finishing. His aerial ability remains exceptional, and his penalty-taking is as reliable as ever. In a tournament setting, where games can be decided by moments of individual brilliance, Ronaldo's experience and composure could be decisive.
His coach with Portugal knows better not to make any guesses about his future. “It’s difficult for me to say, because obviously I’ve learned very quickly not to predict the future with Cristiano, just because he’s got this elite brain about being the best that he can be today,” Martínez said. “And I’m thinking if you ask him, he’ll tell you the same. He doesn’t make plans.” That mindset of living in the moment has defined Ronaldo's career. He approaches every training session and match with the same intensity, regardless of the opponent or competition.
The world will be watching to see if Ronaldo can add a World Cup title to his glittering résumé. A victory in North America would cement his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game. But even without that ultimate prize, his resilience and longevity already separate him from his peers. As he steps onto the pitch for likely his final World Cup, he carries the hopes of a nation and the pride of a career that has never accepted limitations.
Source: MSN News