Cristiano Ronaldo is back in form as Portugal meet Colombia in a crunch World Cup tie tonight.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored twice in Tuesday’s 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan in Houston, triumphantly bellowing “I’m back” twice at the television cameras after more heavy criticism of his undisputed starting role in the team that occurred following a frustrating opening 1-1 draw with DR Congo.
On his record-extending 230th cap, Ronaldo, at 41, became the first player ever to net in six different World Cup finals and the second-oldest World Cup goalscorer of all time, after Cameroon great Roger Milla.
It was a defiant response to his detractors and eased some of the pressure on head coach Roberto Martinez, who has steadfastly refused to remotely even consider dropping one of the greatest footballers in history despite the perceived negative impacts on his team’s style of play and effectiveness that date back to Euro 2024.
His sense of relief was palpable after so many of the star attacking names had made such a glittering start to this tournament, not least long-time rival Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, to name just a few.
There were no doubts around Ronaldo’s starting berth on Saturday as Portugal take on Colombia in Miami, needing a victory to secure top spot in Group K.
Two points currently separate the two nations after two games, with Colombia having beaten both Uzbekistan and DR Congo to sit top.
The winners of the group will face a third-place qualifier in the round of 32, while the runners-up will meet the second-place team from England’s group - Group L.
It was hard to imagine Martinez making too many changes to a star-studded team that scored five last time out after such an underwhelming opening display, having brought in the returning Ruben Dias and Joao Felix for Tomas Araujo and Bernardo Silva for their second group contest.
However, arguably Portugal’s strongest-ever major tournament squad is blessed with a plethora of quality options both in midfield and attack, with the likes of Silva, Rafael Leao, Trincao and Francisco Conceicao all used off the bench against Uzbekistan.
Benfica centre-back Araujo also returned to training on Wednesday following a knock, with Martinez appearing to have the luxury of a fully-fit squad to choose from in Florida.
He makes one alteration from the team that beat Uzbekistan, with Joao Neves replaced in midfield by namesake Ruben Neves.
Colombia’s attack will be led as usual by Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez, with Jhon Cordoba starting up front following an injury suffered by Luis Suarez.
Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; R Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo
Time and date: 12.30am BST on Sunday June 28, 2026
Venue: Miami Stadium
How to watch: BBC One
