Portugal hope Cristiano Ronaldo's milestone World Cup is no millstone

Portugal open their 2026 World Cup campaign on June 17 against DR Congo in Houston with Cristiano Ronaldo set to make his sixth appearance at the tournament, a milestone that also raises the question of whether Portugal can keep the focus on the team rather than on its 41-year-old captain.

The debate around Ronaldo has followed Portugal into the opener. He remains the most recognizable figure in the squad and, according to reporting around the team, a player coach Roberto Martínez still considers tactically and psychologically important. But Portugal also arrive with a deeper supporting cast than in past cycles, including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha and João Neves, and the challenge is to make that balance work.

A milestone with pressure attached

Ronaldo is aiming to score in a sixth different World Cup, after having found the net in every edition since 2006. That history makes his presence a major storyline in itself, but it also sharpens the scrutiny. If he is quiet or peripheral in open play, questions about Portugal's dependence on him will quickly return.

Portugal are trying to avoid exactly that. The ideal scenario for Martínez is one in which Ronaldo draws attention, creates space and still leaves the side free to attack through midfield and wide areas. The risk is the opposite: that the team becomes too shaped around one player whose career is now deep into its final chapter.

From qualifying ban to World Cup opener

Ronaldo's route to the tournament was not straightforward. His first straight red card for Portugal came in a qualifying loss to Ireland in November 2025, which triggered a suspension issue that followed him into the build-up to the World Cup. FIFA later reduced the practical impact of that ban, leaving him available for Portugal's opener.

That decision helped ensure the story in Houston is about football rather than eligibility. The Guardian's feature on the match framed the opening game as a test of whether Ronaldo's milestone tournament becomes a lift for Portugal or a burden they must work around.

Portugal's wider case

There is reason for Portugal to believe the team can absorb the pressure. The side won the 2025 UEFA Nations League and enters the tournament with a strong midfield and defensive base, plus enough attacking quality to avoid relying on Ronaldo alone.

That depth matters against DR Congo, who provide Portugal with an early chance to show whether the squad can manage a marquee occasion without losing its structure. It also gives Martínez a platform to show that Ronaldo can remain central without being allowed to dominate the side's shape.

What happens next is straightforward. Watch whether Ronaldo starts, how much of the match he is allowed to play and whether Portugal's other creators do enough work to prevent the opener from turning into a referendum on one man.