Cristiano Ronaldo will be nearing 38 when the Fifa World Cup in Qatar begins later this year.

But Portugal are optimistic enough of not just Ronaldo’s presence if they qualify for the World Cup, but his being in prime form as well in the showpiece event. The World Cup is scheduled to begin from November 21.

“We all feel really lucky because being able to play and share the dressing room with a champion like Cristiano is really special. I say this as a Portuguese and as a teammate of Cristiano.

“So obviously, we are all looking forward to the World Cup and we believe Cristiano will again be at his best there,” defensive midfielder William Carvalho, who has so far made 69 appearances for Portugal and plays for Real Betis currently, said at a recent global conference organised by La Liga.

Portugal face Turkey in the playoff semi-final of the World Cup qualifiers in Porto on March 24. If Portugal beat Turkey, they may then face Italy who take on North Macedonia in another playoff semi-final.

“We’re awaiting the playoffs, where we will do everything to qualify for the World Cup. Yeah, the matches versus Turkey and possibly Italy will be difficult, but I’m also convinced that we have the qualities to beat them both in this case as well.

“But before Italy, we need to focus on Turkey,” Carvalho, a member of the Porgugal team that won Euro 2016, said.