Yahoo Sports reports: It would have been unthinkable at the start of the 2022 World Cup to suggest Cristiano Ronaldo was anything other than the undisputed leader of the Portugal team. After scoring just once, from the penalty spot, in the group stage, he reacted angrily to being subbed off against South Korea and was promptly dropped to the bench for his team's first knockout-stage match against Switzerland. Now, in the buildup to what may be Ronaldo’s World Cup swan song, concerns over what the 41-year-old can still bring to the national team are at the forefront of many fans’ minds.
sports | sports | Yahoo Sports | June 15, 2026 4:20 PM
Portugal fans mixed on whether Ronaldo will help or hurt team’s World Cup chances
It would have been unthinkable at the start of the 2022 World Cup to suggest Cristiano Ronaldo was anything other than the undisputed leader of the Portugal team. After scoring just once, from the penalty spot, in the group stage, he reacted angrily to being subbed off against South Korea and was promptly dropped to the bench for his team's first knockout-stage match against Switzerland. Now, in the buildup to what may be Ronaldo’s World Cup swan song, concerns over what the 41-year-old can still bring to the national team are at the forefront of many fans’ minds.
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