From clapping to smiling to singing, Cristiano Ronaldo took just a few moments to have a good time together with his Portugal teammates after qualifying for what could be his record-tying fifth World Cup.
The highest scorer in males’s worldwide soccer has by no means gained the game’s largest prize, however he’ll get one other likelihood this yr in Qatar.
“The years go by, but the objectives always remain the same,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
Four different gamers have made it to 5 World Cups — Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from 1998–2014, Mexico defender Rafael Márquez from 2002–18, Germany midfielder Lothar Matthaeus from 1982–98 and Mexico goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal from 1950–66. Buffon was within the Italy squad in 1998 however did not play within the event.
Others with an opportunity to affix Ronaldo by taking part in in Qatar are Argentine nice Lionel Messi, Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and México midfielder Andrés Guardado, who’ve additionally been to 4 World Cups. Spain defender Sergio Ramos additionally took half in 4 World Cups, however he hasn’t been referred to as up by coach Luis Enrique lately.
Ronaldo can be taking part in in his tenth straight main event in a streak that began on the 2004 European Championship and consists of 4 World Cups and 4 different European tournaments, a contest he helped Portugal win in 2016.
Ronaldo is the one participant to have scored no less than as soon as in 9 prime tournaments in a row, and can be capable to lengthen lots of his worldwide data in Qatar, together with his 115-goal mark with the nationwide crew. He is also the energetic Portugal participant with probably the most World Cup targets with seven, two shy of Eusebio’s 9.
In 17 World Cup video games, Ronaldo has six wins, six losses and 5 attracts. He has two assists in these matches, and that is how he helped his crew win on Tuesday, establishing the opening purpose by Bruno Fernandes within the first half on the Estádio do Drago in Porto. Fernandes added the second after halftime.
“Goal accomplished,” Ronaldo stated after the match. “We made it to the World Cup in Qatar. We are the place we should be.”
It would be the sixth straight World Cup look for Portugal, whose finest marketing campaign was a third-place end in 1966 and a fourth-place run in 2006 in Ronaldo’s first try. Portugal was eradicated within the spherical of 16 in 2010 and 2018, and did not make it previous the group stage in 2014.
Ronaldo’s Instagram put up on Tuesday got here with a photograph of himself and his long-time pal Pepe, the 39-year-old veteran defender who may even possible be taking part in in his last World Cup.
Ronaldo could be 41 by the point the 2026 World Cup comes round, and he had stated earlier than Tuesday’s match he was starting to be bothered by the repeated questions on how lengthy he deliberate to maintain taking part in.
Those questions will possible be gone for now, as a result of everybody is aware of there can be no less than yet another World Cup for Ronaldo.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
