Which Cristiano Ronaldo will show up for Portugal at World Cup 2022?
Even the biggest Cristiano Ronaldo fan will agree that Ronaldo's otherworldly career has at times been overshadowed by the accomplishments of this era's other resident superstar, Lionel Messi, widely considered the best player in soccer history.
Ronaldo is one of the game's greatest in his own right, so naturally he's always been compared to Messi despite having more club goals, being the all-time top scorer in both the UEFA Champions League and at the men's national team level, and winning five European club crowns to Messi's four. Not always favorably, either.
Now Ronaldo is now 37. Like his longtime rival, he'll take his final turn on the global stage when the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar kicks off later this month. And frankly, his prospects for individual success there don't seem great.
While the 35-year-old Messi has finally found his feet in his second year with Paris Saint-Germain, Ronaldo has been a sideshow for Manchester United this season. He tried to force his way out of the club in the final weeks of the summer transfer window. He's started just four of the 11 Premier League matches he's appeared in. He refused to be subbed into a game against Tottenham last month, left Old Trafford before the contest ended, and was subsequently suspended by United's no-nonsense new manager Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag and Ronaldo seem to have patched things up since then, but it would surprise nobody if the Portuguese forward leaves town for good when the winter window opens in January — if he can find a taker.
Because the fact is that Ronaldo hasn't performed well this season. He's got just one goal in the Prem. His other two, in the Europa League, both came against Moldovan minnow FC Sheriff, though he did set up Alejandro Garnacho's winner over Spain's Real Sociedad on Thursday.
Given his age and his inability to play the sort of high-pressure game most leading clubs now prefer, one has to wonder if Ronaldo can ever be a dominant force again. We'll find out soon, when Ronaldo pulls on his nation's colors in Qatar.
Even with this World Cup sandwiched in the middle of the European season, there's always a demarcation line between club and national team duty. Sometimes a brief change of scenery does wonders. Players struggling at club level often find their feet for their countries.
As much as Ronaldo is a cold-blooded businessman — he didn't return last year to Manchester, where he first became a household name, out of sentiment; they were simply his best option after he walked out on Juventus — he genuinely seems to love playing for Portugal. It's easy to forget how an injured Ronaldo willed his compatriots on from the sidelines during their upset of host France in the 2016 Euro final? In all the post-match pictures, a smiling No. 7 is front and center holding the trophy in his arms. That he was subbed out in the first half is a mere footnote now.
While much of Ronaldo's frustration with United is over the fact that the Red Devils didn't qualify for the Champions League this season, the World Cup offers him the biggest stage of all. Portugal's roster is stacked heading into Qatar. Only six teams have a better chance of winning this World Cup according to FOXBet, which gives Portugal the same odds as the three-time finalist Netherlands and shorter ones than Belgium.
Not only is Ronaldo still a starter and the captain for the Seleção, but Portugal's core knows exactly how to maximize his strengths in an attack that has been built around him for the better part of two decades. When he gets adequate service, Ronaldo still knows how to put the ball in the net. He was third in the Prem last season with 18 goals.
Can Ronaldo really turn back the clock in his final act? Unlikely as it seems on recent form, it's possible. The bigger question is what happens if Ronaldo is relegated to a supporting role. Could he accept being a super sub on a legit World Cup contender? Hard as that is to imagine after all the recent me-first drama in Manchester, it's in his interests to fall in line if necessary. After all, Ronaldo would be the first man to hoist the World Cup over his head Dec. 18 in Doha if Portugal can go all the way, a feat Messi could never match. Don't think he doesn't know it.
Debate what Ronaldo has left in the tank all you want. Just know he'll have all the motivation in the world in Qatar.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
