WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo joins up with Portugal squad as they travel to Qatar for 2022 FIFA World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo joined the 26-man Portugal squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the airport in Lisbon to board a flight to Qatar. The 37-year-old legend missed his team's warm-up game against Nigeria on 18 November due to a bad stomach.
Cristiano Ronaldo arriving with the Portugal squad on their way to Qatar for the World Cup🎥 🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo arriving with the Portugal squad on their way to Qatar for the World Cup https://t.co/idygrpzFV1
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be Ronaldo's fifth appearance in the tournament since his debut in the 2006 edition. Having made his national team debut in 2003 as an 18-year-old teenager, Ronaldo is now Portugal's record goalscorer with 117 goals in 191 appearances.
Ronaldo has won league titles in England, Spain, and Italy while representing Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, respectively, in his long professional football journey. Apart from several domestic titles for the clubs, Ronaldo has won five Champions League titles and five Ballon d'Or awards.
Despite such an exemplary list of titles and awards, Ronaldo rates Portugal's 2016 Euro triumph as the biggest moment of his life. He also led his national team to UEFA Nations League success in the inaugural edition of the European tournament.
The biggest player in Portuguese history and one of the greatest to ever grace the game, Ronaldo will be carrying the dreams of his nation and fans as he arrives in Qatar. He will look to lead the team from the front and guide them through his rich experience to fulfil the national dream.
However, Ronaldo is coming off with probably the biggest mental breakdown of his career which has also been reflected in his stats. The fallout with the administration at Manchester United and his poor goal-scoring form could be a reason to worry for Portugal manager Fernando Santos.
The Portugal squad has many other quality players apart from their biggest superstar and they are among the top contenders for the 2022 FIFA World Cup title.
Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, and others could cover for Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal's campaign
Portugal remained dominant throughout the 90 minutes in their 4-0 trouncing of Nigeria in the warm-up game before the official beginning of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Despite the absence of their biggest player, Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal remained in the driving seat for the entirety of the game.
Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, and Bruno Fernandes were brilliant along with a very confident-looking Diogo Dalot on the right flank. The young stars have been performing well for their respective clubs over the last few months and have the ability to act as a potent cover for their out-of-form striker.
Ronaldo has complained about the lack of supply in the final third of the opposition's box at Manchester United. He has hinted at it as one of the reasons for his disappointing stats this season.
However, that does not seem to be the case with his national team, as Ronaldo will find himself surrounded by Felix, B. Silva, Cancelo, Bruno, Dalot, and others.