Portugal legend Pauleta backs Cristiano Ronaldo for starting role with national team at 2026 World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo has defied expectations, and at 41 years old, the striker remains a key figure in Roberto Martinez’s Portugal setup. Set to feature in yet another World Cup in 2026, Selecao legend Pedro Pauleta has come out in support of Ronaldo, calling for him to be a starter for the national team.

Due to his recent injury with Al Nassr, Ronaldo is the most notable absentee from the Portugal squad for the upcoming friendlies against Mexico and the United States, a group that will also be without Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva. Even so, his standing within the team is not in question, either for head coach Roberto Martinez or, as made clear this week, for one of the country’s greatest legends.

In an interview with A Bola’s 90+3 program, Pauleta, Portugal’s historic all-time leading scorer before Ronaldo, was asked about Ronaldo’s role at the 2026 World Cup and left no room for ambiguity: “Cristiano Ronaldo, from the moment he joined the national team squad, he should be a starter. We know he can decide any match at any moment.“

Far from showing any sign of decline, Ronaldo leads the scoring charts under Roberto Martinez with 25 goals in 36 matches as Portugal head coach. “And we know he will continue scoring goals as long as he plays football, and he will always keep scoring,” Pauleta added.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates with the trophy after winning the UEFA Nations League.

Pauleta’s endorsement comes at a meaningful time, given that Ronaldo’s role at the last World Cup was not without controversy. The striker was dropped to the bench for both the Round of 16 against Switzerland and the quarterfinal against Morocco, where Portugal were eliminated, leaving the enduring image of Ronaldo walking off the pitch in tears in what many assumed would be his final World Cup appearance.

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“The most important thing is that the group is united: the players and the entire structure,” Pauleta said in closing, reflecting on what it will take for Portugal to go deep in 2026. With Ronaldo as the top scorer of the Martinez era and the team coming off a UEFA Nations League title won against Spain last year, the conditions appear in place for the striker to finally get his hands on the one major trophy that has eluded him.

Pauleta’s reaction when Ronaldo broke his goal record

Making his international debut in 1997, Pauleta carved out a lasting legacy with the Portugal national team, most notably helping the Selecao finish fourth at the 2006 World Cup, and retired as the country’s all-time leading scorer with 47 goals. However, his final years with the national team overlapped with Ronaldo’s earliest appearances, and it was only a matter of time before the younger man surpassed him.

Portugal team line up back in 2004.

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On March 5, 2014, in a friendly against Cameroon ahead of the Brazil World Cup, Ronaldo found the net in the 21st minute to move past Pauleta’s record of 47 goals. Fast forward to today, and that tally now stands at 143 goals in 226 appearances, making Ronaldo the all-time leading scorer not just for Portugal but across all international football.

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