A shining example of battling against all odds, Cristiano Ronaldo goes to the Qatar World Cup — his fifth and, possibly, last — with a mission. To show the world he is not finished yet.
Indifferent form for Manchester United and Portugal has prompted many to say that the 37-year-old doesn’t have enough fire in his belly left to shine on football’s biggest stage.
But then it’s Cristiano Ronaldo. One of the greatest-ever forwards, arguably the most famous No. 7, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and scorer of the highest number of international goals, 117. Sample this. His first goal for Portugal came against Greece in Euro 2004 and the latest was a double against Switzerland in June 2022. This bit of statistics is enough to prove his longevity, determination and drive for excellence.
Admittedly, he is now down but to label him as ‘out’ may force one to eat humble pie. Ronaldo made the biggest blunder of his playing career in the 2022 World Cup year. His decision to skip the Manchester United pre-season citing family issues — though it was evident he was trying to secure a move from Old Trafford to a Champions League team — affected his performance.
Once back, Ronaldo struggled to get into the mix, warming the bench for most of the matches. “It’s proven once again, no one can miss a pre-season,” Man United coach Erik ten Hag had said in October. A few days later Ronaldo walked off realising he would be an unused substitute during the 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Ten Hag banished him to train with the under-23 squad and dropped him for the Chelsea match. Humiliation for one of the sport’s greatest players.
Age has cut down his lightning speed and that ability to take those spot-jumps (remember the giant leap to score for Juventus against Sampdoria in December 2019?) is also on the wane. Still, his mere presence will scare rival teams. Portugal national team coach Fernando Santos has so far ignored calls from the fans to bench the superstar, saying he remains a vital cog in the wheel.
In the last international break before the World Cup, Ronaldo endured two forgetful matches. He had a bloodied nose against Czech Republic and then tasted defeat at the hands of Spain at home. Even in the playoff in March against North Macedonia, it was a double from his clubmate Bruno Fernandes which took Portugal to Qatar. “Ronaldo rides piggyback on Bruno,” was the taunt from his critics.
Unlike Messi, Ronaldo hasn’t gone beyond the semi-finals in the World Cup. That was in 2006 and he was not yet the Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2010 South Africa and 2018 Russia, Portugal failed to clear the last-16 stage, while in Brazil in 2014, they were ousted in the group stage.
Till date, the European Championship in 2016, taming France in their own den, remains one of the highlights of Ronaldo’s career. In September he said he would like to continue playing for Portugal even after Qatar. Probably, the 2024 Euro is on his radar.
“I’m still motivated. My ambition is really high,” he said.
But first and foremost his aim will be to silence his critics in Qatar. Leading a team of young and highly talented players, Ronaldo will land in Doha with a battered reputation. Will he get going? He can and if he does, it will be a sight to behold.