On 20 August 2003, a narrow 1-0 win over Kazakhstan in the small northern Portuguese town of Chaves launched one of football’s most extraordinary international careers.
The match was played in front of just 8,000 fans on a pitch so poor that the grass had to be painted to look presentable before kick-off.
Nobody watching that night could have predicted that the teenage debutant would go on to appear at a record sixth World Cup in 2026, alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa.
Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, is the all-time leading scorer in international football with 143 goals to his name across more than two decades of service.
Joao Aroso, who worked with Ronaldo at both Sporting and the national team, told BBC Sport that the forward has given Portugal something far beyond football results.
“We are a small country that rarely has global impact outside football,” Aroso said, adding that Ronaldo “allows our small country to be known worldwide for something great.”
Despite that legacy, scrutiny over his place in the starting eleven has intensified considerably since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Portugal recorded their biggest win of Roberto Martinez’s reign, a 9-0 thrashing of Luxembourg in September 2023, without Ronaldo in the side.
Their second-largest victory, a 9-1 win over Armenia in Porto last November, also came when the captain was absent, reigniting debate about whether Portugal perform better without him.
CNN Portugal and DAZN pundit Sofia Oliveira has been direct in her assessment, saying: “He doesn’t have the football any more to be a starter for a side that wants to win the World Cup.”
Oliveira added that the deeper problem is that the national team has not been actively preparing for a future without their captain, making any transition at this tournament particularly difficult.
Martinez has consistently pushed back against the criticism, pointing to Ronaldo’s record of 25 goals in his past 31 appearances for the Selecao as evidence of continued relevance.
“We are talking about the greatest player of all time,” Martinez said. “He is here because he is still performing at a very high level, not because of what he achieved in the past.”
Not everyone within Portuguese football agrees with that framing, including voices from the game’s history who have been notably candid in their criticism.
Antonio Simoes, a member of Portugal’s famous 1966 World Cup squad that finished third, offered a stinging verdict on Ronaldo’s motivations as a player.
“He doesn’t play to win, he plays to be the main figure,” Simoes said, drawing a pointed contrast with the late Eusebio’s selfless approach to the game.
Former Portugal international Abel Xavier offered a more sympathetic view, telling BBC World Service that Ronaldo’s experience and mentality remain genuinely valuable assets to the squad.
“Cristiano understands the big moments better than almost anyone in football,” Xavier said, noting that younger players look up to him and that he always contributes something meaningful to the team.
Former goalkeeper Ricardo, who was on the pitch the night Ronaldo made his debut and is now part of the national team’s coaching staff, echoed that sentiment warmly.
“The speed may no longer be quite the same,” Ricardo said, before adding: “As long as the physical, technical and mental qualities are still there, he remains a devastating force.”
Off the pitch, Ronaldo’s influence on Portuguese football continues to raise complex questions, particularly regarding the FPF’s partnership with AVA CR7, a physical recovery company he owns.
The Portuguese Football Federation insists the arrangement “complies with all applicable compliance rules and does not constitute any conflict of interest,” with Ronaldo described as having played no part in the negotiations.
FPF president Pedro Proenca has also acknowledged that the federation is planning carefully for life after Ronaldo, projecting record revenues of 161 million euros in its 2026-27 budget.
Portugal begin their World Cup campaign against DR Congo on 17 June, and Ronaldo, who has eight World Cup goals, will be one short of Eusebio’s all-time Portuguese record when he takes to the pitch.
