Ronaldo's final fight for WC glory

HOUSTON, June 16 (Agencies): Christiano Ronaldo has been playing in the FIFA World Cup since his first appearance in 2006. Twenty years later, the Portuguese legend is making what will surely be his last appearance in the World Cup as a player.

Portugal's latest bid for World Cup glory begins in Houston on Wednesday when they take on the Democratic Republic of Congo in a Group K clash against a side appearing at their first global finals in 52 years.

Ronaldo has scored the most goals in Champions League history, 140, and the most international goals, 143. He has won five Ballon d'Or trophies, more than any other European, and been runner-up six times. He has accumulated 35 major trophies in over 1,300 senior appearances across 24 years. To say he is one of modern football's superstars can sound like understatement.

But Cristiano Ronaldo has not won the World Cup. Given he turned 41 in February, this, his sixth World Cup finals with Portugal, will be the last opportunity. Portugal are ranked fifth by FIFA at the time of writing, and have an experienced, talented squad that should in theory ease its way through their initial group of DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia.

But can Portugal win it? They reached the quarter-finals in their last two major competitions - the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when Morocco won 1-0 and Ronaldo was a second-half substitute; and they were beaten in the last eight on penalties at Euro 2024 in Germany by France - Ronaldo scored his in the shootout.

In qualifying for these finals, Portugal won their UEFA group. It included the Republic of Ireland, Hungary and Armenia, whom Portugal hammered 9-1 in the last qualifier. Ronaldo was absent, but Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves and Vitinha were present. Portugal have arguably the best midfield on the globe and know how to retain possession in hot circumstances. This gives Ronaldo hope. He will be fully aware the closest he and his countrymen came to reaching the World Cup final in his era was at his first tournament in Germany in 2006 when he was 21, not 41. Then Portugal lost their semi-final to a Zinedine Zidane penalty for France. There have been no real Portuguese near misses since.

It has been different in Europe. Portugal, with Ronaldo in peak Real Madrid 'CR7' form, did win the 2016 European Championship in France. It is Portugal's one and only major tournament trophy and was a huge achievement.

In the four World Cup attempts since Germany 2006, however, Ronaldo has experienced individual and collective disappointment. In 2010, in South Africa, the squad managed by Carlos Queiroz played four games - three in their group and one knock-out - and scored in only one of them.