With Cristiano Ronaldo set to be 45 years old when Portugal hosts the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Morocco, you might think he is unlikely to be in the squad for what would be his seventh World Cup.
But don’t tell that to Portuguese manager Roberto Martinez.
“No one should doubt that (he could play in 2030),” Martinez said in an appearance on Thursday Chain Be radio. «He deserved it.»
Ronaldo, who made his debut for Portugal in August 2003 at the age of 18, is comfortably the country’s leader in all-time appearances (226, 80 more than Joao Moutinho) and goals scored (143, 96 more than Pauleta).
He led Portugal to the 2016 European Championship and to a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, the country’s best finish at a World Cup since a third-place finish in 1966.
A penalty goal against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar made him the first player to score in five different World Cups.
Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi are expected to simultaneously become the first players in history to compete in six World Cups this summer.
«I’ve worked with many players who have won a Champions League or a Ballon d’Or, and the next day they lose their appetite. What we have with Ronaldo is an example of a different mentality,» Martinez said.
«I believe having that goal makes longevity possible. Of course there’s a genetic aspect, the work he puts in – he uses whatever his body can help – and his mentality.»
Portugal, part of Group K for the first-ever 48-team World Cup, opens against the Democratic Republic of Congo on June 17 in Houston.
(With input from agencies)
Published on May 30, 2026
