FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[paco92x]

If he plays in even that World Cup then I guess he'd be among the substitutes in all matches.    In the end he'd drag the team down if we see him as a starter no matter how much I respect his career so far.

He is going to be 45 years old then! Even playing professional football at that age sounds insane. The World Cup isn't like the qualifiers. I expect to see Ronaldo playing for less minutes even in this World Cup.

If the competition for his position stays the same as it is now, I can definitely see him being part of the 2030 World Cup squad. The main alternative is Ramos, who hasn't played many games for PSG, while Ronaldo scored nearly 30 goals in Saudi Arabia. That could be the deciding factor. However, if Portugal produce two or three outstanding strikers over the next few years, he may find himself left out.

[GiftedMAN]

If he plays in even that World Cup then I guess he'd be among the substitutes in all matches.    In the end he'd drag the team down if we see him as a starter no matter how much I respect his career so far.

He is going to be 45 years old then! Even playing professional football at that age sounds insane. The World Cup isn't like the qualifiers. I expect to see Ronaldo playing for less minutes even in this World Cup.

If the competition for his position stays the same as it is now, I can definitely see him being part of the 2030 World Cup squad. The main alternative is Ramos, who hasn't played many games for PSG, while Ronaldo scored nearly 30 goals in Saudi Arabia. That could be the deciding factor. However, if Portugal produce two or three outstanding strikers over the next few years, he may find himself left out.

Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at 41 years is extremely uncommon, it's not something we see with most successful players so it's understandable that a lot of us think he'll be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup but to be honest, I strongly doubt it'll happen. He'll be playing his 6th FIFA World Cup tournament this summer, something many players don't even get to play more than one. After this year's World Cup, I expect Ronaldo to retire from international football and before the next World Cup, I expect him to also retire from professional football.

[Rockson1]

Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at 41 years is extremely uncommon, it's not something we see with most successful players so it's understandable that a lot of us think he'll be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup but to be honest, I strongly doubt it'll happen. He'll be playing his 6th FIFA World Cup tournament this summer, something many players don't even get to play more than one. After this year's World Cup, I expect Ronaldo to retire from international football and before the next World Cup, I expect him to also retire from professional football.

That guy is blessed, I think that's he's nature, with what I'm seeing even at the age of 50, Cristiano Ronaldo will still be fit, as for participating in 2030, it is far although with my calculations he'll be 45 years old by then and might also participate but that so not the bone if contention for now, let's face the present, I will want to watch how he's going to perform in this world cup that is coming up next month which is June, that guy keeps surprising me, that is your expectation, what if he doesn't? Ronaldo is just out of this world in terms of football.

[bitgolden]

Germany has really always been very unpredictable, i don't understand how there are people who believe that this is something new, they have always had an excellent team and now more than ever they can prevail, because there are also new names, and certainly not half-assed ones who aren't worth much.

There is nothing unpredictable about them, they are a "decent" team but not enough to win the whole thing.

I can see that already, they do not have enough good quality players to win the world cup, they have enough to maybe get out of the group stage as expected instead of fail like last time, but that is about it, I can't see them going further and further into finals.

There are plenty of other great teams, Argentina, France, Spain, plenty of teams out there who are looking much stronger than Germany.

[Sithara007]

I honestly don't think I'll watch the World Cup, without my country's team not playing it annoys me.
I didn't watch it much before, but after 12 years of no World Cup for Italy it has really lost a lot of its appeal for me.
among other things, the fact that FIFA has inflated the prices so much makes me feel disgusted (reading from your comments)

I don't want to fatten these pigs

Italy had a strong team this time, but they were unlucky to be included in a tough group during the group phase UEFA qualifiers. And again, they were unlucky in the second round, as they got tough opponents there as well. What can be done here? From the same UEFA confederation, teams such as Norway and Scotland managed to qualify. Italy just didn't made the cut. That said, I can understand the pricing structure being followed by FIFA. Tickets are always expensive for premium sporting events. Tickets for the 2026 edition are similarly priced to that in the previous edition (2022 Qatar).

[KTChampions]

I honestly don't think I'll watch the World Cup, without my country's team not playing it annoys me.
I didn't watch it much before, but after 12 years of no World Cup for Italy it has really lost a lot of its appeal for me.
among other things, the fact that FIFA has inflated the prices so much makes me feel disgusted (reading from your comments)

I don't want to fatten these pigs

We'll see how high prices affect attendance, it's quite possible that the situation with the Club World Cup will repeat itself, when they had to urgently lower prices but the stands still remained half-empty. Who is willing to pay to attend the Uzbekistan-Colombia or Cote d'Ivoire-Ecuador games? Probably only those from these countries who have some money, but I’m not sure that there will be many of them at the World Cup.
As for Italy, they themselves were unable to realize the chances that they undoubtedly had.

[DanWalker]

Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at 41 years is extremely uncommon, it's not something we see with most successful players so it's understandable that a lot of us think he'll be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup but to be honest, I strongly doubt it'll happen. He'll be playing his 6th FIFA World Cup tournament this summer, something many players don't even get to play more than one. After this year's World Cup, I expect Ronaldo to retire from international football and before the next World Cup, I expect him to also retire from professional football.

Personally, I do not think Ronaldo will play in the  2030 world cup. We have never seen such an old forward in any team's squad before. This will be another record for Ronaldo. Ronaldo is one of my favorite players. Even then, I doubt whether he will be able to do well in the world cup. Although Ronaldo has played well in the Saudi pro league this  season as well. He has managed to score 28 goals and two assists in 30 matches. But the world cup is a completely different platform. In the past, we have seen many times that players who score a lot in the league fail in the World Cup.

[mv1986]

Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at 41 years is extremely uncommon, it's not something we see with most successful players so it's understandable that a lot of us think he'll be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup but to be honest, I strongly doubt it'll happen. He'll be playing his 6th FIFA World Cup tournament this summer, something many players don't even get to play more than one. After this year's World Cup, I expect Ronaldo to retire from international football and before the next World Cup, I expect him to also retire from professional football.

Personally, I do not think Ronaldo will play in the  2030 world cup. We have never seen such an old forward in any team's squad before. This will be another record for Ronaldo. Ronaldo is one of my favorite players. Even then, I doubt whether he will be able to do well in the world cup. Although Ronaldo has played well in the Saudi pro league this  season as well. He has managed to score 28 goals and two assists in 30 matches. But the world cup is a completely different platform. In the past, we have seen many times that players who score a lot in the league fail in the World Cup.

I think he won't. Now it is Ronaldo and never say never because I suppose he is the guy with the best recovery tools and expertise around him ever seen in that sport. But he would have to be good enough to take the place of someone else and four years is a long time where it is not unlikely that Portugal has one or two other offensive superstars.

He would have to extend his contract more than once in Saudi Arabia, nonstop score at least 20 goals or more per season and be invited to the national team without blowing up the team structure because that will evoke doubt among other players. He would also have to be lucky to have the right national coach at the right time. There will be someone making a cut publicly, that is often how it goes.

[Jatiluhung]

Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at 41 years is extremely uncommon, it's not something we see with most successful players so it's understandable that a lot of us think he'll be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup but to be honest, I strongly doubt it'll happen. He'll be playing his 6th FIFA World Cup tournament this summer, something many players don't even get to play more than one. After this year's World Cup, I expect Ronaldo to retire from international football and before the next World Cup, I expect him to also retire from professional football.

It is indeed possible that cristiano ronaldo will retire before the next FIFA World Cup. cristiano ronaldo is currently trying to reach 1,000 goals, which would be a historic milestone in the world of soccer. he has already scored around 973 goals, meaning he only needs 27 more to reach 1,000. He also has the potential to score goals at the World Cup. so next season, he might only need about half a season to reach 1,000 goals.. and if he achieves that next season, it could very well be his final season before he retires. At the very least, I hope the Portuguese national team goes far in this World Cup. After all, Portugal looks like one of the more reliable favorites.

[hyudien]

That guy is blessed, I think that's he's nature, with what I'm seeing even at the age of 50, Cristiano Ronaldo will still be fit, as for participating in 2030, it is far although with my calculations he'll be 45 years old by then and might also participate.

Natural talent, combined with the discipline of keeping fit, is why at the age of 41 Ronaldo can still impress on the pitch, and it's not easy to perform like that for a striker. He another clear example that with consistency, talent is preserved, I don't know what the future holds, but if he can still participate in the 2030 world cup, he will break another record as the oldest player to play in the world cup.
In fact, he already got that record, coming in at 4th place as the oldest player at the 2026 world cup, behind Cameroon Roger Milla.

[Distraction]

Personally, I do not think Ronaldo will play in the  2030 world cup. We have never seen such an old forward in any team's squad before. This will be another record for Ronaldo. Ronaldo is one of my favorite players. Even then, I doubt whether he will be able to do well in the world cup. Although Ronaldo has played well in the Saudi pro league this  season as well. He has managed to score 28 goals and two assists in 30 matches. But the world cup is a completely different platform. In the past, we have seen many times that players who score a lot in the league fail in the World Cup.

I also don't think so and I believe he shouldn't be called for the Portuguese national team anymore after this World Cup. He is too old for this even though he still looks fit.

Because he is slow man... He isn't the same old quick Ronaldo any longer which is normal for the age of 41.    Portugal can do better without him. Maybe some people won't like this but I strongly believe that.

Portugal has really great talents. They can play better as a team after Ronaldo retires.

[WatChe]

Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at 41 years is extremely uncommon, it's not something we see with most successful players so it's understandable that a lot of us think he'll be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup but to be honest, I strongly doubt it'll happen. He'll be playing his 6th FIFA World Cup tournament this summer, something many players don't even get to play more than one. After this year's World Cup, I expect Ronaldo to retire from international football and before the next World Cup, I expect him to also retire from professional football.

Along with Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina Messi is also playing his 6th world cup this time. Ronaldo has done the hard work of keeping himself fit even at the age of 41 but it won't be possible for him to maintain such fitness in 2030 when he will be 45 years old. Ronaldo might retire from International football after this world cup but he is at peak of his league career. He is playing for Al-Nassr club and will continue to play till he maintain his fitness. For now, Cristiano Ronaldo main target is to win world cup for his country before saying good bye to international football.

[snipie]

For now, Cristiano Ronaldo main target is to win world cup for his country before saying good bye to international football.

Cristiano Ronaldo will retire after this World Cup if Portugal win it because he will be seen as a legend in his country but also in the World. Otherwise if Portugal fails early, he will continue playing international competitions like UEFA EURO, Nations Cup and it depends from what he thinks about his fitness, if Portugal succeed in winning something and he is tired, he will stop, otherwise he will try to continue as much as possible. I agree that the next World Cup is quite far for him.

[retreat]

Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at 41 years is extremely uncommon, it's not something we see with most successful players so it's understandable that a lot of us think he'll be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup but to be honest, I strongly doubt it'll happen. He'll be playing his 6th FIFA World Cup tournament this summer, something many players don't even get to play more than one. After this year's World Cup, I expect Ronaldo to retire from international football and before the next World Cup, I expect him to also retire from professional football.

He has already confirmed that this will be his last World Cup, so there's no need to expect him to play in 2030, as that's no longer possible. While he's quite fit for an athlete his age, there are still limitations, and it's almost certain he won't play in another World Cup. And that's what makes this year's World Cup so special, not only Ronaldo but also Messi has signaled that this is his last World Cup. Two goats of our generation will be playing their final matches, a truly rare and historic moment in the world of football.

[PremiumcryptoHub]

Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at 41 years is extremely uncommon, it's not something we see with most successful players so it's understandable that a lot of us think he'll be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup but to be honest, I strongly doubt it'll happen. He'll be playing his 6th FIFA World Cup tournament this summer, something many players don't even get to play more than one. After this year's World Cup, I expect Ronaldo to retire from international football and before the next World Cup, I expect him to also retire from professional football.

You are right that Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness at the age of 41 is extremely uncommon, as a result we saw that he became the champion in the recently concluded SPL and performed dazzlingly throughout that tournament and it's true that this player was able to score two goals in that SPL title-deciding match. However we are still skeptical about whether he will be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup because it seems that if he reaches his 1000 goal landmark before then, he might retire from football but looking at his fitness I think he might be able to participate in the next World Cup.

[Slow death]

However we are still skeptical about whether he will be able to participate in the 2030 FIFA World Cup because it seems that if he reaches his 1000 goal landmark before then, he might retire from football but looking at his fitness I think he might be able to participate in the next World Cup.

I know Cristiano Ronaldo is an incredible player, he's very hardworking and shows that he loves football very much. I believe that if there were a medicine that could make people younger, something like reducing their current age by 50% for 50% of their fortune, Ronaldo wouldn't hesitate to buy it. Because that way he could continue playing. He's that kind of person in my opinion. But unfortunately, that kind of medicine doesn't exist yet, and the 2030 World Cup will be impossible for him in my opinion. There's no way he can continue playing well until 2030 and go to the World Cup.

[Btcdeybodi]

Portugal no doubt has great squad and the are still looking for their first world cup title despite appearing eight times in the past. Portugal coach is saying that Cristiano Ronaldo will also play 2030 world cup. While Messi is playing his 6th world cup and this might be his last world cup. Messi might be less enthusiastic for this world cup as he was part of team that won the last world cup. Cristiano Ronaldo will do his best in this world cup to make sure his side wins the title before his retirement.

Ronaldo playing in the 2030 World Cup? Roberto Martinez might be right because Ronaldo is still in good form at 41years. The player takes good care of his body through adequate training and an appropriate diet. But I think it is too early to start marking such predictions. Most football fans are closely watching how the World Cup this year will turn out for two of the greatest players, Ronaldo and Messi. Portugal has a very good side but they are not my favorite to win the competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo needs to rest and retire after this 2026 world cup. We know that he is passionate about football but he needs to consider his health and his age too. 2030 is about 4 years from now, by that time he must have lost his strength and wouldn't contribute much to the success of his team. Perhaps, playing at the 2030 world cup isn't going to guarantee that his national team Portugal will win it, he should just accept that the world cup is one trophy he couldn't achieve in his football career, after all we have many great players in the past who didn't win the world cup in their entire football career. If Portugal doesn't win the 2026 world cup then Ronaldo should just forget about it.

[tygeade]

Sure, I would say Ronaldo could play also at the 2 following World Cups, 2034 and 2038, at the end if he's in good shape at 41 and he can be in good shape at 45, then he can be in good shape also at 49 and 53, doesn't he? 
Come on, let's be serious, it's already insane that he is still being called up, mainly because he is purchasing records, I really hope we won't see him at the next World Cup because it would really mean that he is more important than the whole Portuguese Federation at that point.

He will possibly in good shape even next 4 or 8 years but having a good shape does not mean that he will be able to play like a younger player. His pace will become slower, his flexibility will become worse, and it's how aging affects everyone so all these aging effects will make his performance worse with time, that's very natural declining performance quality from all professional athletes, not exception with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Like a legendary Japanese player Kazuyoshi Miura who is still playing for Fukushima United at J3 League at his 59 year-old, it's possible for Ronaldo continuing his player career next 4 years or 8 years if he wants. However, it's different at be good enough for playing in World Cup tournaments in 2030 or 2034.

This is exactly what happened during his career which caused him to switch positions. As everyone would know, he was a winger, he was much faster and much quicker and this allowed him to be a winger, he scored a lot of goals as a winger and played very well. But as he aged, he started to be played at striker a lot more, and over time he started to only play there because he aged and playing at wing is not a possibility for him anymore.

This doesn't mean that he is not fit anymore, he is still a fit person but he is not fast and agile enough or have stamina to play at the wing anymore. This same change will happen again, as he is aging, so he has just a few years left at the most and probably just one more year as most likely.

[Italian Panic]

Sure, I would say Ronaldo could play also at the 2 following World Cups, 2034 and 2038, at the end if he's in good shape at 41 and he can be in good shape at 45, then he can be in good shape also at 49 and 53, doesn't he? 
Come on, let's be serious, it's already insane that he is still being called up, mainly because he is purchasing records, I really hope we won't see him at the next World Cup because it would really mean that he is more important than the whole Portuguese Federation at that point.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal’s captain and, in some respects, can still be decisive, particularly when it comes to motivating his teammates, I think it’s only right to take his age into account. Portugal can also count on players who are developing very well in his position, so it will be natural, after the World Cup, to move on from Cristiano Ronaldo and build a team that can carry on without him, giving others the responsibility to step up.

[KTChampions]

Personally, I do not think Ronaldo will play in the  2030 world cup. We have never seen such an old forward in any team's squad before. This will be another record for Ronaldo. Ronaldo is one of my favorite players. Even then, I doubt whether he will be able to do well in the world cup. Although Ronaldo has played well in the Saudi pro league this  season as well. He has managed to score 28 goals and two assists in 30 matches. But the world cup is a completely different platform. In the past, we have seen many times that players who score a lot in the league fail in the World Cup.

Haha 2030  Technically it is possible, in form of to come on the field as a substitute for 5 minutes, but in practice, of course, we will not see this. Ronaldo is obsessed with football, but he's also obsessed with his image and he's a businessman. Therefore, he understands that such stunts will likely damage his image and business. He already has a huge number of incredible records, and now is the time to achieve the last one (1,000 goals) and retire from football (as a player, it seems he wants to become a club owner).