Cristiano Ronaldo 'crucial' to Portugal, insists Santos, but is he still the main man?

You have to go deep back into the last century for a World Cup that began without suspense building around a Ronaldo. In 1994, there were two of them. Brazil, who went on to lift the trophy, called up a defender by that name at the last minute, a replacement for late injury. They also picked a precocious young striker in their squad, a 17-year-old with a goofy grin then known as Ronaldinho.

That junior Ronaldo would rise fast, a Ballon d’Or holder by the time of the France World Cup in 1998, where he led Brazil’s attack until, on the day of the final, he suffered sudden convulsions, and was initially left out of the line-up. The decision was then reversed. Ronaldo "Fenomeno" as he was also known, had an anonymous game in the 3-0 defeat by France, an episode put behind him when, despite a long period of injury leading up to the 2002 tournament he was top scorer in Brazil’s triumph in South Korea and Japan.

There is still some argument, mainly from South America about which of the two great Ronaldos, both of legends at Real Madrid, is the greater, and part of the case in favour of Brazil’s Ronaldo, ahead of Portugal’s are the fact of his two World Cup gold medals. Brazil’s Ronaldo was a non-playing substitute in 1994, but the hero eight years later. But by 2006, he would be thoroughly upstaged by his namesake, or CR7, the great record-breaker of 21st century football.

Come November, this Ronaldo will start his fifth World Cup, and there is suspense: Will he be in form? Will he justify his place in Portugal’s starting XI? He will be three months from his 38th birthday, so it is reasonable to assume it will be his last. If he takes it as far as a semi-final, he would match his best showing on the sport’s ultimate stage; if