Cristiano Ronaldo is likely playing in his last-ever World Cup this summer. His first involvement in a major tournament for Portugal came in Euro 2004, while he won the European Championships competition in 2016, he’s never got his hands on the biggest prize.
Indeed, this will be the sixth World Cup Ronaldo has played in, and almost certainly his final chance to win it. Across the past editions, he’s scored eight goals and picked up two assists in 22 games, but has never made it past the semi-finals. Portugal came fourth in Germany 2006, crashed out at the Round of 16 in 2010 and 2018, didn’t even make it out of the group in 2014, and went out at the quarters in 2022.
Now 41, the Saudi Pro League star is very much past his prime, but will still expect to make a big impact this summer. In fairness, he has scored 10 goals in his last 10 international outings going into the tournament, which suggests he could yet be a real threat for the Portuguese.
At Euro 2024, however, Ronaldo struggled, failing to score as he started all five games before his team were knocked out by France in the quarter-finals. He made plenty of headlines that summer, but one interesting thing eagle-eyed viewers spotted was that he stood at a slightly different angle from his teammates during the Portugal national anthem ahead of kick-off. It’s likely to happen again at the 2026 World Cup, but why does CR7 do it?
Why Cristiano Ronaldo Stands Sideways During Portugal National Anthem

As the Portuguese team line up, side by side to sing ‘A Portuguesa’, Ronaldo instead often chooses to stand sideways in the lineup. He does so as a way of showing how much love and respect he has for his nation.
Indeed, the Al Nassr striker positions himself differently to make sure that he is facing the Portugal flag wherever it is flying in the stadium. Beyond anything else, this is simply an act of patriotism.
This has been a tradition of the captain throughout his career as a sign of respect for his home nation. Some may laugh at this idiosyncratic behaviour, but it doesn’t seem to have hurt the veteran forward.
Indeed, Ronaldo has scored more goals for Portugal than any other player in international football. In fact, he’s scored more goals in the sport than anyone else, so his methods ought not to be questioned when it comes to pre-game superstitions.
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Ronaldo’s International Record
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Games
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227
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Goals
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143
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Assists
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46
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Major Tournaments
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11*
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Tournament Wins
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1 (Euro 2016)
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*Will become 12 once Ronaldo plays at the 2026 World Cup
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Roberto Martinez Backs Ronaldo: ‘Age is Only a Number’

Ronaldo won Euro 2016 but was injured during the final. His absence in that game may be pointed out by those critics who suggest Portugal would be better off without him. Manager Roberto Martinez is often questioned about the matter, but has insisted that the 41-year-old is in the team based on merit, not reputation.
Speaking to the press about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ahead of the tournament, the Portugal manager explained:
“We manage the Cristiano Ronaldo that plays for the national team trying to get into the squad for 2026, not the iconic figure.
“Age is only a number. Certainly in the national team we can measure exactly what’s happening on the day, and you make the decisions for the next day. You never look any longer than the next day.”
Portugal come up against DR Congo in their first Group K match, before meeting Uzbekistan and Colombia. Ronaldo will almost certainly start some of those games, and it will be interesting to see how he lines up during the national anthem.