After benching Cristiano Ronaldo at 2022 World Cup, Fernando Santos now makes 2026 World Cup prediction about Portugal captain

Despite benching Cristiano Ronaldo during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, former Portugal boss Fernando Santos has predicted that the Al-Nassr ace will feature in the 2026 edition. He also hailed Ronaldo as the best player in the world during the 110th anniversary of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).

Santos plied his trade as A Selecao's head coach between 2014 and 2022. Under the former's guidance, Cristiano Ronaldo and company found success, winning Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League.

A Selecao could not get over the line in the World Cup. Ronaldo's angry reaction at being substituted during their group-stage clash against South Korea led to Santos benching him for Goncalo Ramos in the Round-of-16 game against Switzerland.

After scoring a hat-trick during their 6-1 win over Switzerland, Ramos retained his spot in the starting XI in the quarter-finals against Morocco, over Ronaldo. However, Portugal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat, eliminating them from the competition.

While Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to publicly confirm his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Santos has made his prediction. The Azerbaijan boss said (via O Jogo):

“I always expected him to be at a high level until late and I have no doubt that he will be at the World Cup. He will give his all to win another title for Portugal. He is the best player in the world, full stop."

Ronaldo had a poor showing during the 2022 edition, scoring one goal and providing zero assists in five appearances. He will seek to improve these numbers if he plays in the 2026 FIFA World Cup

---

How did Cristiano Ronaldo fare for Portugal in 2024?

With reports suggesting Cristiano Ronaldo's participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, let's look at how he fared for the Portugal national team in 2024.

The Al-Nassr superstar featured in two friendlies at the start of the year against Slovenia and Ireland, scoring two goals against the latter. However, he had an extremely disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, scoring no goals and registering one assist in five games. Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals following their defeat to France.

To his credit, Cristiano Ronaldo bounced back in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League. He scored five goals and provided one assist in five games, helping his country climb to the top of the League A Group 1 table with 14 points from six games.