Legendary Cristiano Ronaldo addressed a message to Portuguese fans ahead of his country's participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, currently being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Ronaldo is preparing to lead his national team against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday evening at the NRG Stadium, in the opening round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo posted a group photo of the Portuguese national team on his X platform account yesterday, Tuesday, and commented: "Every time we wear this shirt, we feel the same pride, the same passion, and the same sense of responsibility that we felt on the first day."
He added: "Tomorrow a new chapter begins."
The Don continued: "We have worked very hard to reach this moment, and now it is time to do everything for our country."
He continued, addressing the fans: "To all the Portuguese communities who support us here and around the world, trust us."
Veteran star Cristiano Ronaldo (41 years old) is preparing to participate in the world's biggest tournament for the sixth time, as one of the players with the most appearances in it.
"The Madeira Rocket" scored 8 goals during his appearances in the World Cup finals, distributed as follows:
2006 World Cup (Germany): One goal
2010 World Cup (South Africa): One goal
2014 World Cup (Brazil): One goal
2018 World Cup (Russia): 4 goals
2022 World Cup (Qatar): One goal.
Ronaldo became the first player in football history to score in 5 different editions of the World Cup tournaments.
Meanwhile, his traditional rival, Argentine star Lionel Messi, raised his tally to 16 goals after scoring a hat-trick against the Algerian national team (3-0) early Wednesday morning, thus equaling the record for the best goalscorer in the World Cup, which was previously held by German striker Miroslav Klose.
Portugal will play in Group K of the 2026 World Cup, alongside Colombia, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
