World Cup 2018: 5 captains who will be crucial for their teams

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

No Ronaldo, no party for Portugal at the World Cup

If the current Ballon d’Or holder and team captain does not score, it is difficult to see where the goals for A Seleção das Quinas will come from.

Portugal may be the defending European champions but this feat was achieved more on the back of a solid backline and a tough but unimaginative midfield rather than blitzing the opposition with goals.

Despite having a long tradition of producing excellent, world-class wingers (Luis Figo, Ronaldo himself, Paulo Futre among others), the Portuguese have struggled to produce great goal scorers aside the peerless Eusebio of course. This explains why middling to average strikers like Helder Postiga, Pedro Pauleta have gotten 70 or more national caps.

Manager Fernando Santos has named just one out-and-out striker in his 23-man squad: AC Milan’s Andre Silva (who stunk out the place in his first season in Italian football). It is clear therefore that the Real Madrid superstar will carry his nation’s hopes and dreams on his very broad shoulders.

Cristiano Ronaldo's pace, agility, aerial ability and the sixth sense for always being in the right place would be crucial for the Portuguese team.

The presence of creative players like Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Ricardo Quaresma, Gelson Martins and others means the team should be able to create enough chances for Portugal’s greatest ever player to put away.