Cristiano Ronaldo thought his World Cup dream had died in tears four years ago.
After Portugal’s shock quarter-final defeat to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup, the veteran forward walked off the pitch devastated. Unable to hide his emotions, Ronaldo headed straight down the tunnel as tears streamed down his face, convinced he had missed his final opportunity to lift football’s most coveted trophy.
The following day, he shared an emotional message admitting that winning the World Cup with Portugal had been the greatest ambition of his career.
At the time, it felt like the end.
Instead, it was merely another chapter.
Now, at 41 years old, Ronaldo is preparing for a sixth World Cup and what could be one final shot at completing the only major achievement missing from his extraordinary career.
The road back has been anything but smooth.
Ronaldo arrived at the 2022 tournament determined to silence critics after his turbulent departure from Manchester United. Yet Portugal’s campaign ended amid controversy.
The forward was dropped for the last-16 clash against Switzerland, a match Portugal won 6-1 thanks to a hat-trick from his replacement, Goncalo Ramos. Reports later suggested Ronaldo had threatened to leave the national team camp, allegations he strongly denied.
Despite the turmoil, the Portuguese Football Federation opted against a complete reset.
When Roberto Martinez replaced Fernando Santos as head coach in early 2023, many expected him to build around a younger generation featuring players such as Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao, Vitinha and Goncalo Ramos.
Instead, Martinez made a bold decision.
One of his first moves was to personally convince Ronaldo to continue leading the national team into Euro 2024 and beyond.
The decision divided opinion.
Ronaldo scored heavily during qualification, but his performances at Euro 2024 raised serious questions. Despite registering more shots than any other outfield player in the tournament, he failed to score a single goal.
The frustration became increasingly visible.
Portugal’s captain missed a crucial penalty against Slovenia in the round of 16 and was left in tears during extra time. Although he recovered to convert in the penalty shootout, the emotional scenes highlighted the enormous pressure he continued to place on himself.
Critics argued Portugal had become too dependent on a player no longer at his peak.
Calls for Martinez to reduce Ronaldo’s role intensified after another disappointing quarter-final exit, this time against France. Once again, Ronaldo failed to find the net as Portugal were eliminated on penalties.
The fallout sparked fierce debate across Portugal.
Many supporters questioned whether both Martinez and Ronaldo should remain central figures moving forward. Some even urged the national team to move on entirely and build around its younger stars.
Yet Martinez stood firm.
The Spaniard continued to back his captain throughout Portugal’s successful Nations League campaign and resisted mounting pressure to phase him out.
Now that faith faces its ultimate test.
Portugal enter the 2026 World Cup as one of the tournament favourites, boasting a squad packed with elite talent. Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Diogo Costa and several Champions League winners give the Seleccao arguably one of the strongest squads in the competition.
At the centre of it all remains Ronaldo.
For much of the past four years, the debate has centred on whether he should still be there. But as the World Cup begins, the focus shifts to a different question.
Can football’s most relentless competitor finally complete his collection?
The tears in Qatar seemed to signal the end of the dream.
Instead, Ronaldo has been handed one last opportunity to make it reality.
