14 hours ago
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Cristiano Ronaldo is 41 years old. He has played every single minute of Portugal’s 2026 World Cup group stage. That’s 270 minutes of competitive football in the sweltering heat of Houston and Miami, spread across just ten days, for a player who was born when Bill Clinton was in his first term.
Portugal advanced from Group K, finishing second after a dominant 5-0 demolition of DR Congo on June 17 and a goalless draw against Colombia on June 27. Ronaldo scored twice in that opener. He looked sharp, decisive, every bit the all-time leading scorer in Portuguese history. But the question hovering over this campaign isn’t whether Ronaldo can still perform. It’s whether playing him into the ground during the group stage is a strategic miscalculation that could cost Portugal when the stakes actually get highest.
His brace against DR Congo in the opening match wasn’t the work of a player coasting on reputation. Two goals in a 5-0 win suggests a striker who came to this tournament with purpose and sharpness. His final World Cup, by his own declaration, and he clearly intends to leave everything on the pitch.
The 0-0 draw against Colombia in the final group match tells a slightly different story, though. A scoreless result against a strong opponent isn’t inherently concerning. But it’s the kind of match where fresh legs might have made a difference, where a substitute striker with something to prove could have changed the dynamic late in the game.
If Portugal goes deep, Ronaldo could be looking at another three or four full matches across the next two to three weeks. That’s potentially 630 total minutes of World Cup football in conditions that would test players half his age. The tournament is being played across venues in the US, Canada, and Mexico during peak summer, which adds heat and humidity to an already demanding schedule.
Portugal’s next opponent will have watched all 270 of those minutes. Whether he looks like a 41-year-old who needs rest, or a 41-year-old who has somehow figured out how to cheat time one more time, will tell us everything about how far this team can go.
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