Qatar 2022 is just a few days away from us. Four and a half years later, the soccer community is ready to witness a new edition of the FIFA World Cup, which could be the last for Cristiano Ronaldo with Portugal.
The 37-year-old striker is not getting any younger, and even though he doesn’t plan to retire from international competition soon, it’s hard to imagine him in the 2026 tournament. Therefore, this could be a special World Cup for the Portuguese.
Fernando Santos‘ men head into Qatar with high aspirations, aiming to take the nation to the promised land for the first time. Portugal will play one last international friendly before the World Cup, but Ronaldo will miss it.
Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out for Portugal vs. Nigeria
Santos confirmed on Wednesday Ronaldo will not play forPortugal in the friendly against Nigeria due to a stomach bug. The veteran forward couldn’t practice with the team, and it makes no sense to force him.
It’s quite a blow for Ronaldo, who has recently made big headlines due to his controversial comments about Manchester United in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan. However, the priority goal remains to be fit for the World Cup.
Portugal will make their debut in Qatar on Nov. 24 against Ghana, later facing Uruguay and South Korea. How far do you think they’ll go?Using this World Cup Predictor, you can see every potential outcome of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.