Cristiano, Portugal’s catalyst for leap to the elite
FIFA –
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Portugal have not missed a single major tournament over the course of Cristiano Ronaldo’s international career
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Ronaldo led his country to their first two official titles at senior level
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Portugal play Ghana in their opening game at Qatar 2022 and will also face Uruguay and Korea Republic in Group H
Now 37, Cristiano Ronaldo has been called up by Portugal for the fifth FIFA World Cup™ of his career. The Manchester United forward is much more than just his country’s all-time leading scorer. To say that CR7 is a one-man inflection point in the history of his national team would be no exaggeration. In the 90 years that elapsed between Portugal’s first match and the international debut of Madeira’s most famous son, the national team appeared at just three World Cup and three UEFA EURO competitions. Before Ronaldo came along, Portugal’s finest hour at the World Cup was third place at England 1966. Other high points in their footballing history came in 1989 and 1991, when the country’s youngsters won back-to-back FIFA U-20 World Cups. And in 2001, Luis Figo, the last big Portuguese star before the Ronaldo era, was named FIFA World Player of the Year.
Though notable, those episodic achievements were not enough by themselves to thrust Portugal into the elite of international football. That all changed when Ronaldo stepped on to the scene in the early 2000s.
How it all began
Since Ronaldo won his first cap, in a friendly against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003, Portugal have never missed a major competition, appearing at five World Cups and five EUROs in a row. With the No7 in their ranks, the Portuguese have gone from mere participants to genuine trophy contenders.
A final farewell?
It is alongside those players – among them established internationals such as central defender Ruben Dias, attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva (both of Manchester City) and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes – that Ronaldo is now preparing for what might be his last World Cup. The man who changed the face of Portuguese football will make his first outing at Qatar 2022 against Ghana in Doha on 24 November. Portugal’s subsequent opponents in Group H will be Uruguay and Korea Republic.
Portugal before Cristiano Ronaldo
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World Cup: Three appearances from 17 editions
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EURO: Three appearances from 11 editions
Portugal after Cristiano Ronaldo
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World Cup: Five appearances out of five
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EURO: Five appearances out of five
