Cristiano Ronaldo, ‘hungry as ever,’ enters sixth World Cup

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo’s sixth and likely final World Cup will be the first for the Portugal great since he left Europe to play in Saudi Arabia.

The surprise move in late 2022 shocked many in the football world and prompted widespread doubts about his form. 

But Ronaldo, who turned 41 in February, has dismissed any notion of a drop in performance going into next month’s showcase event. And, to help make his case, the goals have kept coming, both for Al-Nassr and with Portugal.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said Ronaldo is as hungry as ever and doesn’t see any signs that the star forward has slowed down after moving to Saudi Arabia.

“He keeps performing and he keeps showing his value and he keeps showing that (he) is important for the national team,” Martinez said. “To have that hunger when you’ve won everything in the game is quite remarkable. And that’s without getting away from the fact that to be in the national team you need to be somebody that can help the team now and not with what you’ve done in the past.”

Ronaldo and his longtime rival Lionel Messi are set to reach the milestone of playing in six World Cups. Ronaldo is the all-time leader in appearances (226) and goals (143) for a men’s national team. He is also the only man to have scored in five World Cups.

“Even though he’s the captain, even though probably he’s achieved what no other player in world football has achieved, which is the number of games for the national team, over 225 appearances, just with that number is a uniqueness about what he brings, but I think he has the same demands as any other player in the national team,” Martinez said.

Ronaldo made the move to Saudi Arabia in the middle of the 2022-23 season after his latest stint with