🚨🇦🇷 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥: If Lionel Messi produces ONE assist tonight, he will become the player with the MOST ASSISTS in World Cup history!
If Lionel Messi produces ONE goal tonight, he will become the player with the MOST GOALS in World Cup history!
I’m here to debunk one of the biggest myths used to glaze Cristiano Ronaldo:
“Portugal were nothing before Ronaldo.”
That’s simply false.
Portugal has always been a major football nation. The average Portuguese child has a far higher chance of becoming a professional footballer than most countries. This isn’t some tiny footballing underdog like Iceland.
Before Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal had already produced:
• 3 Ballon d’Or winners
• A record 4 European Golden Boots (most by any nation)
At club level, Portuguese football was elite long before Ronaldo.
Benfica were one of Europe’s first superpowers, dominating alongside Real Madrid in the early European Cup era. They reached 9 European Cup/Champions League finals — more than clubs from most footballing nations — and represented Europe on the world stage in the Intercontinental Cup.
Internationally, people love saying Portugal couldn’t qualify for tournaments before Ronaldo.
What they won’t tell you is that World Cups and Euros had only 12-16 teams back then. By today’s qualification formats, Portugal would’ve qualified for several more tournaments, using the old format Ronaldo would have missed 3-4 championships
And Portugal’s greatest World Cup achievement remains their 3rd-place finish in 1966, when Eusébio delivered one of the greatest World Cup performances ever against an era featuring Pelé’s Brazil.
Now people want to use the Nations League — essentially a glorified friendly tournament created for World Cup preparation — to erase over half a century of Portuguese football history and credit everything to one man.
Portugal didn’t become a football nation because of Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was fortunate enough to be born into a football nation that was already great.
🚨 Tottenham Hotspur among clubs keen on signing Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United - separate to #THFC pursuit of Sandro Tonali. Interest driven by Roberto De Zerbi; wants #WHUFC talent as well as #NUFC midfielder. W/ @DTathletic@SebSB@TheAthleticFC https://t.co/xnahVXnYAZ
This isn't his last dance, His last dance was at the 2022 World Cup.
The pressure is gone. The dream has been fulfilled. What's left is simply the privilege of watching him play one more time
Israel Adesanya is rooting for Alex Pereira to make history this weekend 🤝
"People don't understand what it's like to root for someone you've competed against. It's not about me, it's bigger than me.
To see someone achieve this, and you played a part in helping them get there. It's f*cking cool man.
I want Alex to get it done, I really believe he's gonna get it done. It's just destiny."
(via @stylebender)