Cristiano Ronaldo will arrive at the 2026 World Cup carrying a weight that no other player in the tournament can match — six appearances at football's greatest stage, 143 international goals, and a national identity so intertwined with his own that questioning his selection has, until recently, felt almost treasonous in Portugal.

Almost. Not any more.

The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward made his senior Portugal debut on 20 August 2003 in a low-key friendly against Kazakhstan in Chaves, in front of a sold-out crowd of just 8,000 on a pitch so threadbare the grass had to be painted green. Few present could have imagined that the teenager from Madeira would still be representing his country more than two decades later, let alone equalling the record of Lionel Messi and Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa as a six-time World Cup participant.

Yet here we are. And the conversation around Ronaldo's role has shifted considerably since Qatar 2022.

Martinez's defence and the numbers behind it

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has been consistent and unapologetic in his backing of Ronaldo. When pressed, he points to the same figure: 25 goals in 31 appearances under his management. For Martinez, who took charge in 2023 following his departure from Belgium, that is not sentiment — it is evidence.

"We are talking about the greatest player of all time," Martinez has said. "He is here because he is still performing at a very high level, not because of what he achieved in the past."

Former Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo, who was actually on the pitch for Ronaldo's debut back in 2003 and now serves on the national team coaching staff, backs that assessment. "The speed may no longer be quite the same," Ricardo acknowledges. "Instead of running at 200km/h, he is running at 195km/h now. As long as the physical, technical and mental qualities are still there, he remains a devastating force."

The results that have fuelled the debate

What makes the discussion genuinely awkward for Martinez is that Portugal's two biggest results of his tenure came when Ronaldo was absent. A 9-0 demolition of Luxembourg in Faro in September 2023, and a 9-1 victory over Armenia in Porto last November, were both achieved without him. Predictably, both results reignited the conversation about whether the team functions better in his absence.

Joao Aroso, who worked with Ronaldo at both Sporting and with the national team, offers a broader perspective on what the forward means beyond the matchday eleven. "We are a small country that rarely has global impact outside football," Aroso told BBC Sport. "Cristiano allows our small country to be known worldwide for something great."

Not everyone is so generous. Antonio Simoes, who was part of the Portugal squad that finished third at the 1966 World Cup, has been sharply critical. "He doesn't play to win, he plays to be the main figure," Simoes argued. "Do you understand that it's the opposite of Eusebio?"

What he brings to a young squad

Former Portugal international Abel Xavier makes a case that goes beyond statistics. "Cristiano understands the big moments better than almost anyone in football," Xavier said. "That experience can be decisive in a World Cup. The younger players look up to him and he always gives something to the team."

That intangible — the psychological weight a player of his stature carries into a dressing room — is difficult to quantify. Portugal's squad is significantly younger than it was even four years ago, and the argument that Ronaldo's presence steadies nerves in knockout football is not without merit.

He has eight World Cup goals to his name, one behind Eusebio's all-time Portugal record, and has scored at each of his five previous tournaments. Portugal open their 2026 campaign against DR Congo on 17 June, and Ronaldo has already confirmed this will be his final World Cup.

The debate over whether Portugal are tactically better without him may be legitimate. But Martinez has made his position clear, the market appears to respect Portugal's broader quality, and — for now at least — Ronaldo remains very much undroppable.

Frequently asked

When do Portugal play their first game at the 2026 World Cup?
Portugal open their 2026 World Cup campaign against DR Congo on 17 June.
How many World Cup goals has Ronaldo scored?
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored eight World Cup goals, one short of Eusebio's all-time Portugal record of nine.
Is the 2026 World Cup Ronaldo's last?
Yes. Ronaldo has confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will be his final appearance at the tournament. It will be his sixth, equalling the record held by Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa.