Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Portugal out at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada on Wednesday when they open against DR Congo, with the 41-year-old poised to become only the second player after Lionel Messi to appear at six World Cups.
It is a milestone that feels both inevitable and faintly awkward. Ronaldo is a Portugal icon, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner and one of the most prolific forwards the sport has seen. Yet as he prepares for another tilt at the trophy that has always eluded him, a different question is gathering volume around the team: is this version of Ronaldo still carrying Portugal, or quietly weighing them down?
