"Go on a new diet to be ready" - Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate wants him to play for Portugal in the 2030 FIFA World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate Nani has expressed his desire to see the Al-Nassr superstar playing for A Selecao das Quinas in the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Portugal, Spain, and Morocco were declared the hosts of the 2030 FIFA World Cup on December 11, 2024, after a virtual FIFA Congress.
Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the best players to have ever played the game. The Portuguese superstar is the highest international goalscorer in the history of the men's game with 135 goals and 45 assists in 215 appearances for Portugal. He was also instrumental in helping Portugal win Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 - their only major international trophies in history.
Even at 39, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is going strong at Al-Nassr. This season, he has already amassed 16 goals and three assists in 19 games across competitions for the Knights of Najd. Ronaldo has scored a whopping eight goals in his last five appearances for club and country.
In an interview (published by Bola Na Rede on December 11), Nani opined that Cristiano Ronaldo needed to prepare himself for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. He said:
"Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2030 World Cup? He's going to go on a new diet to be ready." (translated from Portuguese by Google)
Talking about Portugal hosting the World Cup, he said:
“It is very important and a privilege to host the World Cup in our home country. It will be a fantastic World Cup, we have a lot of talent. We will have a very strong team and we hope that Cristiano Ronaldo will be there to score his goals.
"It is fuelling the dream of all the young people in Portugal. When I was younger I had this dream, I really enjoyed our national team’s games. In your own country you feel it more .”
During his playing days, Nani was a feared marksman for Portugal. In 109 games for the country, he scored 24 goals and created as many more. He has played 128 games with Cristiano Ronaldo for Manchester United and the national team, registering 14 joint goal participations.
How has Cristiano Ronaldo performed for Portugal in World Cups over the years?
Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated footballing discourses over the last two decades because of his unparalleled goalscoring prowess. The Al-Nassr maestro is the highest goalscorer in the history of the men's game with 916 strikes and 256 assists in 1255 appearances.
However, his record at the FIFA World Cup has been rather modest over the years. The 39-year-old has scored just eight goals in 22 appearances in five iterations of the tournament - 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Cristiano Ronaldo became the only player in history to score in five FIFA World Cups after he scored in Portugal's opener against Ghana in 2022 in Qatar.
In his debut World Cup in 2006, Ronaldo scored once in six games as A Selecao das Quinas finished fourth. Four years later, he scored once in South Africa as Portugal bowed out in the Round of 16.
In 2014, Portugal had an underwhelming campaign as they crashed out in the group stages with Ronaldo scoring just once in three games. FIFA World Cup 2018 was his best year in terms of goals. The Portuguese star netted four times, including a match-saving hattrick against Spain. However, Portugal crashed out in the Round of 16.
In the last World Cup in Qatar, Portugal bowed out in the quarter-finals courtesy of an upset caused by underdogs Morocco. Ronaldo scored once in five games.