Messi's path to QF of the World Cup:
R32: Cape Verde
R16: Australia/Iran
QF: Algeria/Colombia
Ronaldo's path to the SF:
RO32: Croatia
RO16: Switzerland
QF: Argentina
SF: England/Brazil
It's so obvious what Fifa wants, the same thing as 2022
🚨🇵🇹 Cristiano: “I know that whoever works hard, God helps him. It was a tough week, a dark one, it started as if I had retired from football”.
But I held on as I always hold on because I believe in work more than football. It was tough, I have to admit, but we came back”.
🚨
Record newspaper’s beautiful article on Cristiano Ronaldo:
Record on Cristiano Ronaldo:
There is something strange about Portugal's relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. For more than two decades, we have demanded the impossible from him. And, almost unbelievably, he often delivered it. Now, as the years pass and football reminds us that no one can defeat time, many seem to have chosen to forget.
They have forgotten who permanently put Portugal on the world football map. They have forgotten who transformed a talented national team into one that was respected and feared. They have forgotten who broke record after record, who wore the Portugal shirt hundreds of times, and who was present in moments of glory as well as moments of pain.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not perfect. No athlete is perfect. No human being is perfect. But the ease with which some people try to reduce his career to a missed penalty, a poor performance, or a disappointing result says more about our collective memory than it does about the player himself.
Football has a simple truth: no one wins alone. When Portugal won, the coaches, teammates, staff, administrators, and, of course, the players on the pitch all won together. But if no one wins alone, then no one draws alone either, and no one loses alone.
When the national team fails to achieve a goal, the responsibility belongs to everyone. It is unfair and irrational to turn one player—even if that player is Cristiano Ronaldo—into the sole face of success or failure.
For years, Ronaldo was criticized for not winning trophies with Portugal. Then he won the European Championship and the Nations League. He was criticized for depending on the team. Then he was accused of trying to do everything by himself. He was criticized when he cried, and criticized when he did not cry. The truth is that many of his critics are not looking for balance; they are simply looking for a new reason to attack him.
Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy goes far beyond goals, trophies, and records. He is a rare example of discipline, longevity, and professionalism. A boy from Madeira who left home as a teenager, faced the toughest challenges in world football, and reached the summit through relentless dedication and daily commitment.
At a time when many talents lose their way, Ronaldo became a global reference point. He raised Portugal's name across every continent. He made millions look at our country with admiration. He inspired generations of young players to believe that talent alone is not enough without hard work.
Even away from the pitch, he has remained deeply connected to his roots, his family, and his Portuguese identity. He never abandoned the country where he was born; instead, he carried it as a flag.
The day Cristiano Ronaldo retires will come. That day is closer than it is far away. And when it happens, Portugal will realize what it so often realizes too late: that it witnessed a career that will never be repeated.
Criticism is part of sport, and it should exist. But ingratitude should never be confused with accountability. We can debate decisions, performances, and moments. But we should not allow the emotions of the present to erase the historical significance of what Cristiano Ronaldo represents.
Results fade, and records can be broken, but some figures transcend the game. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of them. And Portugal would be better off if it never forgot that. 🐐❤️
🚨🇵🇹 Did you ever imagine you would end up playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for the national team, especially considering how long he has extended his career?
And secondly, have the younger players who grew up idolising him spoken internally about wanting to win this World Cup for Cristiano?
🇵🇹🚨🎙MATHEUS NUNES:
"No, I never imagined it.
Ten years ago, I was playing in the sixth division of Portuguese football.
So if you ask me whether I imagined myself playing alongside Cristiano one day, the answer is no, never.
And of course, for all of us, it is a huge honour to be here with him.
There is no need for me to explain how great a figure Cristiano is.
We are all very happy to share this experience with him.
And as you said yourself, if we can win the title and do it with him, that would be something truly special."