After the scandal and a furore, Cristiano Ronaldo is back on the pitch, gracing football’s biggest stage at the World Cup in what remains an awkward, yet compelling Portugal side.
It remains his team, but Joao Felix epitomises the immense talent available elsewhere for Fernando Santos, who has seldom dared to imagine and pursue the Selecao’s exciting potential. Here, in a quite fortunate opening group win in Qatar, Portugal displayed a hint of what they can become and the familiar frustration attached to Ronaldo’s presence in the side.
