FIFA World Cup 2022 - How Cristiano Ronaldo Can Lead Portugal to Glory

There's just one trophy missing from Cristiano Ronaldo's resume, with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar likely his last chance to fill that void.

Ronaldo has danced across the world stage from as soon as he broke onto the footballing scene. 

From Madeira to Manchester, from Manchester to Madrid, from Madrid to Turin and back to Manchester, he has explored the world and conquered it all. With titles in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, multiple Champions League wins, and many more domestic trophies, there are not many trophies that CR7 hasn’t won. 

From both a club and individual standpoint, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most decorated footballers to ever play this beautiful game. However, there is one, quite massive blight on his record, one absence that, while it wouldn’t ruin his legacy, certainly diminishes it ever so slightly. 

The absence of 'The Golden Goddess' on Ronaldo's resume will forever be in the back of this perfectionist's mind. While his nation's Euros victory in 2016 will give him some international solace, we can safely assume that the bit-part role that Ronaldo played in that final will never sit well with him. 

This, without question, is Ronaldo's last chance at taking the World Cup back to Lisbon. The 37-year-old will be 41 in four years, and should he somehow make it there, he will be the second oldest outfield player to ever play in the World Cup. While we all know Ronaldo’s freakish physical level, it would take a monumental effort for him to appear in four years. 

Qatar 2022 is Ronaldo's last chance at glory, his last chance at making history, and his last chance at cementing himself as being the greatest footballer to ever play the game. Stats Insider's World Cup projections have Portugal as a 6.4% of going all the way, so let's examine how this talisman can lead his nation to World Cup glory. 

World Cup 2022 Predictions for Portugal

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Portugal's Squad Depth

For the longest time, the notion behind the Portuguese national side has been “Ronaldo and 10 other players.” With no household names and no other bonafide stars, it has been the Ronaldo show for the past decade. This has heavily stunted the ability of Portugal to gain any ascendancy on the international stage. 

Even when you look into their Euro 2016 triumph, this was mostly a one-man show, and the show wasn't even that great. Winning in normal time only once in all seven of their matches, and only getting out of the group stage due to a Ronaldo brace against Hungary in their last game, the stars very much aligned for Portugal.

Their performance in the World Cup before and after that triumph tells a much clearer story. Not getting out of the group stage in 2014 and falling in the Round of 16 against Uruguay four years later, two tournaments in which without Ronaldo, could’ve ended even worse. 

This paints the picture of the one-man show that was aforementioned. However, in 2022, it is a much, much different story. There were eight changes in the starting 11 from their last World Cup game in 2018 to their successful qualification playoff win three months ago. These changes have added a completely new dimension to this Portuguese line-up, turning the one-man show into an orchestra that can play some gorgeous football. 

Ruben Dias, Diogo Jota, Joao Cancelo, Bruno Fernandes, and Joao Felix have all added a new dimension to this side, whilst Renato Sanches' return to the national side has added some much-needed midfield depth. All these talents have turned Portugal into a fierce competitor and a squad that could cause some major damage to any side they come up against. 

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The likes of Dias, Cancelo and Joto are coming career-best seasons for their clubs, playing at some of the best sides in world football. While Felix and Fernandes had slightly below-par seasons by their lofty standards, the motivation that the World Cup provides should spark them back to life. 

The best thing about these attacking players is that they all suit Portugal’s ability to use Ronaldo as the central striker, the focal point of their attack. These attacking players all offer creativity and pace, giving Ronaldo the license to have his defensive work and off-the-ball movement restricted so that he can focus on being in the right place at the right time to be as clinical as we all know he can be. 

Portugal’s system involves Ronaldo being very central and having both wingers - as well as an attacking central midfielder - coming close to him and creating overloads in a central area. This allows for quick, interlinking play between the forwards, as well as space out wide for overlapping full-backs. 

One of Portugal's biggest tactical deficiencies in Euro 2020 was their lack of creativity in midfield. Often playing both Danilo Pereira and William Carvalho at the base of midfield, this stagnant and defensively minded partnership hindered Portugal’s ability to get the ball forward and be progressive through the middle of the park. 

However, the re-introduction of Renato Sanches into the fold, as well as Joao Moutinho, allows them to be much more progressive in the middle of the park. Plus, the introduction of Ruben Neves as another option in defensive midfield has drastically elevated Portugal's hopes heading into the World Cup in Qatar. 

These more adventurous midfielders further enhance Ronaldo’s ability to get into the game, increasing his chances of getting better service and more effective link-up play. The more Portugal dominates the ball, the more impact Ronaldo will have. 

Furthermore, the progressive nature of Portugal’s full-backs will cause havoc for opposition defences, as they will already have a focus on the central overloads, this is put a heavy responsibility on the opposition wingers to track back, meaning there is more room for error and a potential to allow for the full-backs to have a major influence.

Can Ronaldo cement his legacy in Qatar?

The only blemish on Ronaldo’s record is the absence of the World Cup trophy on his resume. While he hasn’t been helped with a slightly poor Portuguese side for his prime years, now, there is absolutely everything in place for Ronaldo to cement himself as the greatest footballer to ever play the game. 

This is his last chance, and we all know that when the pressure is on when the chips are down, Ronaldo always stands up. Can he do it one last time? We're sure excited to find out!

(Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)