Cristiano Ronaldo's sixth World Cup will be a record-breaker, but it's not just about the numbers. At 41, the Portuguese superstar has been named in Roberto Martinez's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and this time, Portugal have the depth to reduce his burden.
The squad is a far cry from the teams of old, which often relied on Ronaldo to carry the threat, gravity, and tournament identity. This time, Portugal have a team that can change the old Ronaldo equation.
With a goalkeeping group that includes Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Rui Silva, and Ricardo Velho, the defense boasts Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Goncalo Inacio, Renato Veiga, Tomas Araujo, Nelson Semedo, and Matheus Nunes.
The midfield is stacked with Vitinha, Joao Neves, Ruben Neves, Samuel Costa, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernardo Silva, while the attack features Joao Felix, Francisco Trincao, Francisco Conceicao, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leao, Goncalo Guedes, Goncalo Ramos, and Ronaldo.
This is not a squad built around one route to goal; it has carriers, passers, runners, crossers, midfield controllers, wide accelerators, and alternative centre-forward profiles.
Ronaldo's value sits inside that abundance, and Portugal can now pick him without asking him to be the whole attacking weather system.
His role can be narrower, and that narrowness may protect the selection from becoming a sentimental drag.
Portugal's depth only helps if Martinez is willing to use that depth honestly. A squad with Bruno, Bernardo, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Leao, Neto, Conceicao, Felix, Trincao, and Ramos cannot be reduced to service duty around one ageing forward.
The strength of this Portugal group lies in its variety, and Ronaldo can sharpen that variety only if he doesn't consume it.
The 2026 Ronaldo decision should not be judged through the lens of the old superstar; the question is whether Portugal can use him without surrendering the rest of the team's range.
