Has Ronaldo's era with the Portuguese come to an end?

No one expected Cristiano Ronaldo's importance to Portugal's national team to be questioned before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, Ronaldo's performance at the Qatar 2022 World Cup was lackluster, managing only one goal – a penalty – and he reacted angrily to being substituted in the match against South Korea, resulting in him being benched for the first knockout stage match against Switzerland. He then failed to score in a major tournament for the first time when he didn't find the net at Euro 2024. Now, Portugal fans are worried ahead of what will be the 41-year-old's final World Cup appearance in 2026, where Portugal will begin their campaign against DR Congo in Houston. But Ronaldo has made positive contributions recently, including scoring eight goals in Portugal's run to their second UEFA Nations League title, including the equalizer in the final against Spain. He also helped his club, Al-Nassr, win the Saudi Professional League title for the first time this year, finishing as his team's top scorer with 28 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo is set to set a record by participating in the World Cup for the sixth time, and is the oldest field player in the tournament, as well as the main striker for his national team.