That’s fine as far as it goes, but it places all the weight on one man’s shoulders. But there could be another Ronaldo Factor at play, and it is one that will galvanise the entire team. To understand it, we need to look briefly at another World Cup in another sport.

They’ll want to do it for Cristiano

In 2011, India beat Sri Lanka to win the cricket World Cup in front of 45,000 adoring fans at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Of course, the team were jubilant, but in post-match interviews, every player said the same thing: “We wanted to win it for Sachin.”

Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the best batsman ever, was by this time 38. It was to be his last World Cup, and about the only thing he hadn’t won. In the final itself, his contribution was minimal, opening the batting and being caught behind for 18, but that wasn’t the point. Over the past 20 years, he’d been India’s talisman, their greatest player, and this was their gift to him. It was not MS Dhoni, the man who scored the winning runs, but Tendulkar, who was carried on the shoulders of his teammates on a lap of honour around the stadium.

Perhaps it is this kind of Ronaldo Factor that can make the biggest difference to Portugal’s World Cup prospects in Russia.

The route to the final

Getting through the group stages is one thing, but Portugal can make a big difference to their chances of ultimate victory by not just qualifying but by winning Group B. Here’s why. If they finish second in the group, they will face likely Group A winner Uruguay, and set up a potential quarter-final against France. If they win their group, they will most likely get an easier last-16 tie against Russia, to set up a mouth-watering encounter against Argentina.

Messi versus Ronaldo is something the world would love to see, but to win the group, they need to beat Spain on June 15. The Portugal v Spain betting odds are around 7/2 for a Portugal win, with Spain the slight odds-on favourites. Of course, this game is already being seen as the biggest matchup of the group, but there could be even more resting on it than local rivalry.

One thing is certain, the press is right to be talking non-stop about the Ronaldo Effect when it comes to Portugal’s World Cup hopes. The real question, though, is exactly what shape that effect is likely to take.

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Here’s our take on the most difficult way this could play out for Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese national side.

The Group Stage

The group stage fixtures are the only bit of the tournament that’s set in stone, and show Portugal in action on June 15th against Spain, on June 20th against Morocco, and on the 25th against Iran. It’s a path that’s widely viewed as manageable, if not without challenges, for a talented Portuguese side. While, again, anything can happen, it’s that first match that’s likely to determine group finishing order. That is to say, either Spain or Portugal will probably win Group B, with the other being a favorite to advance as runner-up. And since we’re examining the toughest possible path, let’s assume Portugal finishes as the second place team in Group B.

Round of 16

Group B is paired up with the relatively weak Group A in this knockout stage, which is fortunate for Portugal (and Spain). The possible matchups should Portugal advance include Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, though it’s those first two teams that are expected to advance. The odds would say that if Portugal advance as the Group B runner-up, its toughest (and likeliest) opponent would be a Uruguay team coming off a Group A win. Though we shouldn’t count out Egypt entirely. Star striker Mohamed Salah is already being written about as a potential game-changer in Group A!

Quarter-Final

If Portugal were to get out of its group as runner-up and then past Uruguay, its next toughest opponent is actually fairly easy to determine. It would be lined up to play either the winner of Group C (almost certainly France) or the runner-up from Group D (which could legitimately be any of Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, or Nigeria). Predicting things a few matches in is a tricky prospect, but the most difficult road clearly goes through France, which is right there with Germany and Brazil as an overall tournament favorite.

Semi-Final

Moving forward, Portugal would most likely be set up for a semi-final duel with Brazil. The four possible opponents at this stage include the Group E winner (probably Brazil), the Group F runner-up (likely Mexico, Sweden, or South Korea finishing behind Germany), the Group G winner (Belgium or England) and the Group H runner-up (any of Poland, Senegal, Colombia, or Japan). That’s a lot of teams vying for position, but among them, Brazil and Belgium are the best sides, with Brazil standing a tier above. Going by the toughest road, that’s the matchup.

Final

Without getting into the details, the toughest team remaining for a potential World Cup final would be Germany – again, a team among the favorites. So just to recap, it appears the full outline of the most difficult route through the Cup for Portugal includes group play, Uruguay, France, Brazil, and then Germany – not exactly a stroll in the park.

Fortunately for Portugal supporter’s Ronaldo’s form and penchant for heroics seem about as sharp as ever, so there’s no counting out this kind of dream run for the national side.

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At 33 years old, Ronaldo has the fitness of a 23-year-old in peak condition and still looks as hungry as ever to play in every minute of every game. It will certainly not be surprising if he carries on playing at the highest level until the age of 40 or beyond.

When Ronaldo was just 15 years old, he told his teammates that he would one day be the best footballer in the world.  To date, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards and has also gone on to lead Real Madrid to three Champions League titles.

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One of the most impressive displays of Ronaldo’s leadership ability came in 2016, when he led a mediocre Portugal squad to Euro 2016 glory. Portugal managed to overcome the pre-tournament favourites and hosts France in the final 1-0. With Ronaldo leading his country once again, Portugal are 25/1 to win the 2018 World Cup, with punters able to maximise their stake through the use of a bonus code generator.

Ability to prove his doubters wrong

Ronaldo also has an uncanny ability to prove people wrong and this makes him one of the all-time greats. Many felt that he would never win a major title at international level due to the fact that Portugal have been arguably been a one-man team since Luis Figo retired following the 2006 World Cup.

Many people also thought that Ronaldo’s career was on a downward spiral due to Real Madrid’s performances this season and after he had a less-than-desired impact during the first half of the season. However, he has since responded in fantastic fashion during the second half of this campaign and currently sits on 41 goals from 38 games in all competitions.

The former Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United star also became the first player across all of the top five leagues in Europe this season to surpass the 40 goals in all competitions mark.

Ronaldo has a never-say-die attitude and this was proven by the way in which he never lost faith in the Portugal national team. If Ronaldo wanted, he could have retired from international duty to focus solely on making money and winning things at club level, but he did not.

Will he be able to lead Portugal to glory during the 2018 World Cup in Russia? We will have to wait and see.

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The hunt for the title has finished and they crashed out in ignominious fashion to Leganes in the Copa Del Rey. Domestically, their best hope is to maintain their position in third, although even that is not certain given Valencia’s very good form.

Away from La Liga, things are looking a bit better. This is being written just a few days before Real take on PSG in the second leg of the Champions League Last 16. Madrid’s 3-1 victory, with two goals from Ronaldo, demonstrated that they are still the team to beat in Europe’s premier competition. While they are in no way certain to qualify, Madrid have nonetheless put themselves in a good position.

Madrid and Ronaldo both failing to fire at times

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For Ronaldo on an individual level, things have more or less mirrored Madrid’s season. Just when you think he is about to ‘lift-off’, things seem to be reset all over again. He has not been awful in the league: 14 goals put him just one behind Antoine Griezmann. However, it his by his own incredibly high standards (and Lionel Messi’s) that he is judged.

The Champions League is a different matter though, he has bagged 11 goals so far and is priced at odds of 4/9 to once again be crowned the competition’s top scorer. Harry Kane and Roberto Firmino are next on the charts with seven goals each, priced at odds of 9/1 and 33/1 respectively. However, most would fancy the Portuguese to hold them off. Indeed, Ronaldo is just six short of equalling the all-time record of 17 goals he set in 2013/14 season.

World Cup will be firmly in Ronaldo’s mind

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It’s also easy to forget that this is a World Cup year. Despite being European champions and currently sitting third in the latest FIFA rankings, Portugal can still be backed at 25/1 for the tournament when you bet with the top UK bookmakers. That’s pretty tempting given the record of Fernando Santos’ side. Ronaldo is priced at 14/1 to win the Golden Boot in Russia, another decent pick given Portugal’s have two of the tournament’s weaker teams in their group – Iran and Morocco.

From a perspective away from the Madrid bubble, it seems ludicrous that Ronaldo is once again being doubted by fans. His future will always be speculated about, but his current standards only look short by comparison with his past. While Messi leads the way in La Liga’s goal-scoring charts, Ronaldo has nearly three times the goals of the Argentine in the Champions League (11 v 4). What’s all the fuss about?

Seventh Champions League top scorer award is within Ronaldo’s grasp

Less than a year ago Ronaldo was being booed by Madrid fans, yet he was still able to lead them to a La Liga and Champions League double. By the time the end of the domestic season comes around, he could be looking at another top scorer award in the Champions League and ready to captain an underrated Portugal side in his fourth and, probably, final World Cup. The season could end on a high note, with Ronaldo’s detractors once again looking very foolish.

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After coming off the bench to score his national side’s opening goal in their drab victory over Andorra last Saturday, Ronaldo returned to the starting lineup here. As it turned out, the star had a relatively quiet game, with his influence ultimately not being required on the night.

An own goal from Switzerland’s Johan Djourou broke the deadlock five minutes shy of the break, while Andre Silva headed home early in the second half to secure the victory for the reigning European champions. Despite winning all nine of their qualifying matches prior to this encounter – including a 2-0 reverse in Basel in which Ronaldo was out injured – the Swiss are now consigned to the playoffs on the basis of their opponents’ vastly superior goal difference atop Group B.

For the 32-year-old Cristiano, it guarantees his place in what will most likely be his final World Cup in Russia next summer. While he’s tasted European success with Portugal at Euro 2016, Ronaldo has often been criticised for failing to deliver on the grandest of international stages – he will have one final crack at getting it right in 2018.

Image by Кирилл Венедиктов (soccer.ru) [CC BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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With just one point from their opening two games and an adverse goal difference, Portugal are on the cusp of joining England and Spain in falling at the first hurdle in Brazil.

However, if either of Germany or the USA lose and Paulo Bento’s side beat Ghana by a sufficient margin, Ronaldo and co could pinch second spot in Group G.

They will have to do so without Fabio Coentrao, who is still out with a hamstring complaint, but Pepe returns from suspension after he saw red against Germany.

Strikers Hugo Almeida and Helder Postiga are both struggling to reach full fitness so Eder may earn his first start of the tournament alongside Ronaldo, who is still nursing a knee problem – and not expecting fireworks.

[quote]

“Maybe we are an average team,” said the 2014 Ballon d’Or winner. “It would be a lie to say that we are a top team. We have a very limited team and we are not at the best level.

“This does not enable you to beat top teams. There are no miracles. We knew we would have a tough group, with perhaps teams better than us.

“I am not a hypocrite – I never thought we could be world champions, we have to be humble and know our level.”

[/quote]

Ghana are three goals better off than Portugal but, also sitting on just one point, they equally need a victory as well as hoping either Germany beat the USA or suffer a heavy defeat themselves.

The Black Stars are without a clean sheet in their last six World Cup games but Portugal – despite possessing one of the most potent players on the planet – have failed to score in six of their last nine.

Coach Kwesi Appiah will be without Sulley Muntari, which may see former Chelsea man Michael Essien come into the midfield, while Kevin-Prince Boateng should retain his starting place.

However, Muntari’s suspension is not the only disturbance to the pre-match build-up after the country’s government were forced to fly $3million to Brazil this week.

The money was sent on Tuesday to settle the appearance fees of a number of Ghanaian players who almost boycotted the trip to Brasilia.

An official statement from the Ghana FA said: “We wish to assure the general public following President (John Dramani) Mahama’s intervention the Black Stars are in high spirits ahead of Thursday’s match last Group G match against Portugal.”

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Despite pre-tournament expectations, Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained he never saw Portugal as legitimate World Cup contenders this summer.

Following a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Germany, the side could only manage a last-gasp 2-2 draw with the USA on Sunday, leaving them on the brink of elimination going into their final group game against Ghana

Portugal now need both a thumping win on Wednesday and for either Germany or the USA to claim all three points in Group G’s other matchup in order to progress to the last 16, but Ronaldo already appears resigned to an early exit.

 

‘Maybe we’re an average team,’ he told Fox Sports. ‘It would be a lie to say that we are a top team. We have a very limited team and we are not at the best level. This does not enable you to beat top teams.

‘There are no miracles. We knew we would have a tough group, with perhaps teams better than us,’ he added. ‘I never thought we could be world champions, we have to be humble and know our level.

‘I’m not a hypocrite. I never thought we could win the tournament.’

 

 

 

Finishing behind Russia in their World Cup qualifying group, Portugal needed a playoff win over Sweden to make it to Brazil, but the mere presence of the Real Madrid forward in their lineup still saw them enter the tournament as one of the more fancied sides.

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The Real Madrid superstar scored all four on his side’s goals including the first-leg winner as he overcame an equally brilliant display from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a classic encounter at Solna.

Ibrahimovic scored both goals for Sweden in vain as the match featured five goals in 29 minutes of second-half madness.

Ronaldo also equals Portugal’s all-time leading score in taking his tally to 47, level with retired forward Pedro Pauleta.

“A player who scores a hat-trick in a game of this dimension of course that has an effect that is very influential on the final result,” coach Paulo Bento told Portuguese radio RTP in reference to Ronaldo’s heroics.

“In the second half we demonstrated that we play better when we’re more in trouble than with the advantage, and we were more at ease.

“After leading 1-0, we lost our way in some situations and we gave away two goals from set-pieces.

“But we had a great reaction and the victory is entirely fair. At 2-2 things became more relaxed and the third goal resolved the match.

“It seems fair to me that we got the victory and qualified after what we have done over the two matches.” continued Bento.

With Portugal leading 1-0 after the first-leg and the match scoreless at half-time, Ronaldo turned the game on its head five minutes after the restart when he latched onto a glorious through ball from Joao Moutinho and guided a left-foot shot past the despairing Andreas Isaksson.

The counter-attack that begun inside the Portuguese penalty area, took just two touches to send the former Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United striker free on a break that went the length of the pitch.

Sweden were left facing the daunting prospect of scoring three times in 40 minutes and roused the crowd into a frenzy when Ibrahimovic headed home Kim Kallstrom’s corner with 22 minutes remaining.

The packed crowd at the Friends Arena were given further hope four minutes later when English referee Howard Webb correctly awarded a free-kick to Sweden just outside the area which Ibrahimovic drilled low past Rui Patricio.

With a wave of yellow shirts bombarding the Portuguese defence, Ronaldo again came to the rescue with two goals in two minutes, both of them clinical finishes after breaking behind the defence.

Hugo Almeida set up Portugal’s third goal which took the sting out of the crowd before another perfect pass from Moutinho enabled Ronaldo to round Isaksson before smashing the ball in off the underside of the bar.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Congrats Portugal & Ronaldo, here’s his Interview:

“We were punished on the counter-attack after losing the ball,” bemoaned Ibrahimovic.

“Their quality was only on the counter but we played a good match. It’s probably my last attempt to qualify for the World Cup because by the time of the next competition, I probably won’t be playing for the national team,” continued the Swede.

“One thing is sure, a World Cup without me is something I won’t be following. All my congratulations to Portugal, but the two teams deserved to go to the World Cup.

SWEDEN vs PORTUGAL – MATCH STATISTICS

Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and proved his class when it mattered the most. With lot of talks about who should win the Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo might have just settled the debate with his performance last night. The Real Madrid striker scored all the four goals for Portugal in this tie and has almost single-handedly taken Portugal through to Brazil. Now the big stage awaits this Portuguese genius.

Here are the Match Pictures:
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