Cristiano Ronaldo prepares for sixth World Cup with Portugal against DR Congo

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His team and opponents laud him, but Wednesday’s game with the DRC is a test of his powers at a sixth World Cup Inside the home of Houston’s world-famous rodeo, Cristiano Ronaldo enters the last-chance saloon. His sixth World Cup will, with no little thanks to Fifa’s munificence, begin on Wednesday against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and one of international football’s longest-running soap operas begins winding towards its denouement. Portugal have rarely looked better equipped to grant him the crowning achievement of his career and the question, as ever, concerns who is carrying whom. One assumption seems reasonable: Ronaldo could wield a huge influence over the trophy’s ultimate destination. It remains to be seen whether that is channelled positively. Portugal can field arguably the best first-choice midfield in this summer’s competition, an experienced defence and an admirable array of wide forwards. At the heart of their attack stands, depending on your perspective, either a free-scoring icon primed to fire them all the way or a 41-year-old passenger whose presence sucks an otherwise fluent team into an inescapable void. Continue reading...

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Portugal begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against DR Congo on Wednesday at Houston Stadium, with Cristiano Ronaldo preparing for a sixth appearance on the biggest stage. Roberto Martinez’s side remain among the tournament favourites, but their latest friendly displays have created some doubt around whether they can match expectations.